NEMC fines ex-city boss, orders hotel demolished

Vice President Mohamed Gharib Bilal chats with food vendors Coletha Jerome (Left)  and Siwazuri Kimbachi in Mbagala, Dar es Salaam.

The National Environment management Council (NEMC) has ordered the demolition of a hotel owned by a former Mwanza City director.

NEMC issued the order after it was found that Royal Sunset Beach Hotel was built less than 60 metres from Lake Victoria, contrary to environmental conservation regulations.

NEMC legal officer Machare Suguta said the council also fined the proprietor, Mr Wilson Kabwe, Sh10,000,000.

But Mr Kabwe said from Dar es Salaam that the hotel was built according to regulations.

“The laws permit one to construct temporary infrastructure within that distance from the lake shore. None of the structures is permanent,” he said.

Two NGOs have also been fined $10,000 (Sh16 million) each for using forged stamps and other documents and issuing fake environmental impact certificates (EICs) to four prominent companies.

Suguta said Mwanza Environment and Conservation of Nature (MEC) and Mwanza Region Environment Conservation charged customers Sh5 million for a certificate.

“Only the minister responsible for environmental conservation is empowered to issue EICs. We have established that these officials from the NGOs have been conducting illegal inspections of industries and hotels built along the lake shores, claiming they were NEMC officers,” said Suguta.

In Dar es Salaam, Vice President Mohamed Gharib Bilal , yesterday began a two-day tour of the city to assess the cleanliness and sanitation situations.

He said city authorities needed to put in place comprehensive waste management strategies. “Dar es Salaam produces at least 4,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, but only 50 to 52 per cent of the amount is collected and taken to dump sites,” Dr Bilal said. “Urban populations are increasing rapidly, and our cities and towns will be too dangerous to live in unless massive improvement of waste water management is undertaken,” he added

Earlier, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Said Meck Sadick said Temeke, Ilala and K

The Minister of State (Vice-President’s Office, Environment), Dr Terezya Huvisa, said Tanzania needed to take urgent measures to improve waste disposal.

“City authorities need to put in place comprehensive waste management strategies that promote effective and responsible water use, treatment, and disposal, instead of relying on the 1960s stabilisation ponds,” she said.

inondoni municipalities generated 1,138, 1,188 and 2,226 tonnes of solid waste daily.

“Out of the amount produced, Temeke collects only 550 tonnes of garbage, Ilala 474 tonnes and Kinondoni 1,054 tonnes. This explains why a lot of garbage remains on the streets,” he said.