The Sunday News
OVER the last few years, the country has witnessed an unprecedented rise in the volume of vehicular traffic on the roads which has also increased road carnage and caused traffic jams in major towns and cities.
At face value, that every household owns a car might point to development, but in the long term it doesn’t especially when one looks at the threat to the environment that is lurking in the shadows considering that most of the cars are cheap second hand imports.
That they are cheap is not a problem, and that they are second hand is not so much an issue if they were easily disposable without impacting negatively on the environment in a big way.
Suffice to say it was the introduction of the multi-currency regime in 2009 that led to the relative stabilisation of the country’s economy and saw Zimbabwe regarded as a convenient market for second hand and in some instances unwanted material.
Coincidentally or accidentally, the resultant financial stability led to the influx of second hand vehicles imported from Japan which were and are still being bought by a number of Zimbabweans.
The vehicles imported from Japan range from private cars, commuter omnibuses, buses and haulage trucks. And the question that begs an answer is whether Zimbabwe is being favoured in receiving the bulk of the second hand imports or it is simply taken as a convenient dumping ground for toxic and environmentally unfriendly materials.
While the development has made Zimbabwe a little more mobile than before, another school of thought views the development as a potential environmental catastrophe for the country.
These contrasting views on the importation of used vehicles have provoked debate among policy makers, civil society activists and businesspeople on the course that Zimbabwe should take on the matter.
In 2010, Government moved to ban the importation of vehicles older than five years, a move that received massive criticism and contestation from car dealers, who felt that the ban would push them out of business.
Two years later Government lifted the ban.
This flip-flopping in policy implementation shows the extent to which our Government is undecided on the matter. It is caught in between protecting the environment and lives and protecting business interests.
There are, however, certain facts that we cannot afford to ignore, from both schools of thought, as we strive to understand the issue at hand, and probably proffer the way forward as a nation.
Firstly, most of the used cars coming into the country are old and have less efficient engines, with ageing technology compared to newer vehicles.
As a result used cars cause more air pollution than new cars.
Secondly, not only do these old vehicles emit higher amounts of green house toxins in the atmosphere, they also emit huge amounts of harmful gases such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides.
Thirdly, they come with high mileage and outdated technology which makes them susceptible to breakdown, with most of the vehicles not lasting more than five years after being bought.
Repairing these gray imports as the imported cars are sometimes referred to, has proved difficult for many second hand car owners and this has led to thousands of used imported cars lying idle in backyards, scrap yards, driveways and roadsides.
The rate of breakdowns has seen hundreds of irreparable cars being dumped through improper channels.
In view of this phenomenon and trend, it can be argued that Zimbabwe is sitting on an environmental time bomb.
Metals that the cars are made of, rubber and waste fluids, need to be discharged through proper channels, yet the country does not have treatment facilities required to recycle what can be recovered and safely dispose of the numerous pollutants associated with motor vehicles.
As a result most of the damaged and irreparable vehicles are left to rust on the roadside, scrap yards and backyards, discharging tonnes and tonnes of oil and brake fluid and other pollutants into water bodies.
Mr Enock Musara, a development specialist said in as much as it appears noble to continue the importation of used vehicles, the environmental threat that these cars pose to the country in the long run could not be ignored.
“It’s a good idea to allow these cars to come in. It is actually a source of revenue for Government and at the same time it has seen lives of ordinary Zimbabweans being bettered as a majority can now afford buying cars.
“However, there is a need for Government to be futuristic when dealing with this matter and put in place policies after considering the long term consequences. Businesses might feel hard done if importation of cars is banned but that is short term. One needs to look at the long term and then start arguing.
“It is a fact that these cars are not wanted elsewhere, that alone should tell us something and we should act in light of such sentiments from other countries who have banned the cars,” he said.
Environmental Management Agency was not available for comment as the spokesperson Mr Steady Kangata was said to be out of the country the whole of last week.
Mr Shamiso Mutisi, an environmental lawyer with the Environmental Law Association of Zimbabwe, concurred with Mr Musara but emphasised the need for Government to come up with strategies that ensure a balance between revenue collection through import duty and protecting the environment.
“What I would suggest is a combination of business and environmental protection through recycling. There is a need to create room for waste management enterprises specialising in recycling the material used to make cars and reuse it for other purposes.
“We should take a cue from China and other developed countries. They have robust recycling systems. Setting up waste processing will help us reduce cases of dumping and polluting the environment while at the same time creating business and employment,” said Mr Mutisi.
According to statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, the country imported 206 519 cars worth over $606 million between January and November last year.
This translates to about $250 million in import duty accruing to central Government.
Government therefore faces a dilemma as it has to balance between revenue collection through import duty and its constitutional obligation to guarantee citizens’ rights to a safe environment.
The dilemma can, however, be solved by creating space for private players who can invest in waste management enterprises who would help the country effectively deal with waste from dumped vehicles, and save the environment from pollution, while at the same time creating employment.
A lasting solution, which of course would be in the long term, is setting up car assembling plants in the country, which will allow citizens to purchase affordable vehicles which are also environmentally friendly.
