Fines for littering are not enforced

Dear Calvin,

It has always amazed me that littering is tolerated in this country when, at the same time, we say we are patriotic and value our nation. It’s not only ugly and dirty; it is actively harmful to the plants and animals, as well as to water and air, which we need for our own survival. Yet, as you say, there is actually a law against throwing rubbish away randomly.

 The police need to enforce these laws before the general populace will take them seriously. On the fines, I would suggest a E50 fine for anything less than half a kilo of waste thrown away and substantially more than that for larger amounts – those who dispose of large quantities of waste illegally should be fined thousands of Emalangeni, especially if that waste is chemical, biological or otherwise hazardous. It also advertises our failures as a society for all to see. What littering really comes down to is the fundamental evils of society: Ignorance, false pride and lack of consideration.

It is a combination of ignorance of the disastrous consequences of polluting our land, water and air; too much false pride to take responsibility for our own surroundings and put litter in our pockets until we find a bin and the worst one of all, a lack of caring about how your rubbish may affect other people. So as long as a nation is populated by litterbugs, you can tell straight away that the society has these problems. When people use the phrase ‘flowers of Swaziland’, I want people to think of our beautiful maidens, not our disgusting plastic bags.

– News Editor