Government pushes for stronger NEMC as part of environmental legal reforms

Dar es Salaam. The government is undertaking legal reforms aimed at transforming the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) into a fully-fledged authority with enhanced powers to tackle the country’s pressing environmental challenges.

This was revealed on Saturday, May 3, 2025, by the Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Mr Hamad Masauni, during a beach cleanup campaign held at Mbali Beach in Mbezi Beach B.

The clean-up campaign was supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and organized by the African Human Rights Network (AHRN).

Mr Hamad Masauni said the proposed reforms are intended to strengthen NEMC’s legal mandate and enforcement capacity.

“I acknowledge an ongoing legal reform agenda, which is progressing well, aimed at transforming NEMC into an Authority,” he told participants.

“There is a strong view that if NEMC is given more teeth, it will effectively address various environmental challenges,” he added.

Mr Masauni urged Tanzanians to take personal responsibility in protecting the environment, even as the government works to improve laws.

He said NEMC must enforce the law impartially and without hesitation, while the government seeks to revise existing laws to make them more effective.

“NEMC must ensure it enforces the law without fear or favor. We will amend the existing laws to give them more teeth, and we believe the measures will become more stringent,” insisted the minister.

He further called on citizens to embrace a culture of environmental discipline, especially in coastal areas.

“Environmental management begins at the family level, extends to the community, and the government itself must take responsibility for enforcement,” he stressed.

The minister outlined various government efforts to improve waste management, including the National Environmental Policy (2021), the National Environmental Master Plan for Strategic Interventions (2022–2032), the Investment Guide on Waste Management, and national guidelines promoting the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle approach to solid waste.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Yahya Okeish, said the initiative reflects his country’s commitment to global environmental protection and engagement with friendly nations.

He stated that the campaign aligned with Saudi Arabia’s national volunteering programme and its foreign policy goals of promoting shared values.

He urged Tanzanians to continue preserving Mbezi Beach and other coastal areas for the benefit of the community and future generations.

On the same line, AHRN Director Olivier Muhizi said the campaign’s broader goal is to eventually establish a recycling site that collects and sorts all types of waste.

“We will sort out plastics, isolate reusable materials, and direct biodegradable waste to appropriate processing areas, such as composting for fertilizer or charcoal production,” he said.

He called for the beach cleanup to be institutionalized as a monthly activity to maintain cleanliness and make Dar es Salaam the cleanest city in Africa.

“Our goal is for Dar es Salaam to earn praise as Africa’s cleanest city,” he said.

He concluded by stating that the initiative aims to clean beaches from Mbezi to Kawe and Masaki, while educating communities on the importance of preserving the coastline.

Rwanda’s Ambassador to Tanzania, General Patrick Nyamvumba, who also participated in the event, called on African countries to intensify efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and safeguard the continent’s natural resources.