“PREFERRING to shop, eat and have my hair cut in peace, I have left stores, restaurants and hairdressers when they refused to turn the music down. And now, even in my residential area it isn’t safe, as establishments play the music outdoors.
Jairos Saunyama
“Once I went to a city boutique along Nelson Mandela Avenue at opening time, to buy jeans. After realising that I was the only customer, I asked to have the music turned down and was told: ‘We can’t do that. It is company policy’,” Rudo Matiza from Budiriro said.
This is not only Rudo’s predicament, but a number of people are being affected by this.
The whole city is polluted!
Not by long tails of smoke heading skywards from chimneys of the metropolis’ factories and any other dirt one can think of, but by deafening noise that has erupted in the streets of the city.
Noise pollution is intensifying with most retailers engaging music and deejaying to improve their sales. A number of big Chinese-make speakers are seen at most shop’s entrances with a fine deejay clad in tight-fitting jeans and a matching T-shirt rolling out chants before pressing the play button.
One can mistake the shop for a pub as the habit has even spilled in butcheries, hardwares and other shops who are falling bait to the method which is proving to be the best in luring customers.
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But shoppers and people in the country have mixed feelings over this with some saying the noise is makes their shopping and other operations frustrating.
“It’s not all people in the CBD (central business district) who are shop owners, but we have different things to do. Some of us have offices and we need peace and quiet, but this habit of shops playing loud music is indeed a threat to us,” Lloyd Mapfumo, who rents a photocopying office along Jason Moyo Avenue said.
Another woman who only identified herself as Linda said: “The whole city has been turned into something else, it is noise all over and its very irritating. I understand when it’s the festive season and all retailers are expecting good money, but the pollution is now too much.”
“I have stopped buying goods in town because of this noise thing. Instead I am now prefer malls outside the capital where I can do my shopping in peace,” a man who identified himself as Lawrence from Borrowdale said.
However, retailers interviewed professed ignorance over noise pollution, but said it is one of the best ways to market themselves. “Music is very attractive. Because of that we are luring customers to buy our goods. We are already in the mood and music is part of marketing strategy.
“I employed a deejay here to announce the prices and play the best music so as to increase our sales,” Lovejoy Nyamangara, who owns a grocery shop in the capital, said.
There are no stringent laws in the country on noise pollution. Last year the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) said starting this year Zimbabweans would soon be paying fines of up to $5 000 or going to jail for a maximum of one year for disturbing neighbours through noise like playing music at high volume.
All along, the maximum fine has been $20 payable to the police. EMA is working on a Statutory Instrument that will allow the agency to enforce section 79 to 81 of the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27).
The sections provide for fines ranging from level 1 which is $20 to 14 which is $5 000, and or up to one year in prison for “exceeding noise standards” set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at both residential and industrial areas.
WHO stipulates that noise should not exceed 55 decibels during the day and should be less than 35 dB (a radio played at moderate volume) at night in residential areas.
Noise pollution has its side effects. It affects the general health and hearing power of the human beings. The high intensity of noise and its continued use can cause injury to the ears. It may lead to the permanent loss of hearing.
Noise causes the disturbance in nervous systems of urban babies and lead to emotional disturbance and abnormal behaviour.
It may also increase the heart rate, decrease output, constriction of vessels and impaired vision. In case of animals it can affect the heart, liver and brain.
