Shifeta mulls plastic bag ban

Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta says the days of plastic bags being used unabated in Namibia are swiftly coming to an end.

Shifeta confirmed yesterday that his ministry is looking at ways of banning plastic bags in the country.

Each year, more and more plastic bags end up littering the environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into waterways, parks, beaches and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes.

Many animals die after ingesting plastic bags, while mistaking them for food, while one of their worst environmental effects is that they are non-biodegradable and decomposition takes hundreds of years.

According to Shifeta, one of the ways of getting rid of plastic bags is introducing a levy, while another is totally banning their use.

“Other countries have done it, why not Namibia? Plastic is an eyesore and it is a concern for the environment. In the same vein, Shifeta said littering has become a serious concern in the country and therefore it needs to be addressed urgently, before it gets out of hand.

“Littering is becoming a trend that needs to stop. We are coming up with regulations and the laws will be changed.” Shifeta added that if a person, for instance, throws something out of a car they will be stopped and will have to clean up the area.

With regard to littering in the national parks, he said that strict measures must be put in place to keep these facilities clean. “These are lenient fees we are charging people, we have to do something to stop this.”

Shifeta referred to the past New Year celebrations, when litter was strewn in the Dorob National Park.

“It takes almost two weeks to clean up and we do not want to keep people away from the area, therefore measures have to be put in place.”

Shifeta also confirmed that dumping sites must be declared and inspected by his ministry, otherwise they are illegal. He said there are many dumping sites that have not been declared by towns and these may pose a health hazard to people living around them, and will be closed. “We need to do something because it can be a health hazard and they must be closed down.”

Shifeta warned town councils and municipalities to declare dumping sites, and if this does not happen, they are illegal. He said undeclared dumping sites can pose a serious health risk and even result in deaths.

He added that most people in Namibia do not understand the significance of the Environmental Management Act, which is designed to protect the environment.

According to Shifeta, many activities are taking place in Namibia that are not in line with the Act.

“Non-adherence with the Environmental Management Act will not be tolerated any longer. We should ensure that all listed activities have Environmental Clearance Certificates (ECCs) and that Environmental Management Plans are strictly complied with.”

According to Shifeta, this year illegal sand mining will not be tolerated, as it continues to degrade the environment.

“We have all this construction of roads taking place and there is a need to restore our environment.”

He said all organs of state under which some of these activities occur should ensure that they do not take place without ECCs.

ELLANIE SMIT