Chitungwiza residents demand urgent action to addr...

Chitungwiza residents demand urgent action to address water crisis

Philemon Jambaya

Zim Now Editor

Residents of Chitungwiza, one of Zimbabwe's largest dormitory towns, have issued a strong demand to the local municipality to address the ongoing water crisis that has plagued the area for an extended period.

Representing the Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST), residents recently dispatched a letter of demand to Chitungwiza Municipality, protesting the local authority's failure to provide adequate running and potable water. The residents argue that this situation violates their right to water and their right to live in a safe and healthy environment.

The demand follows a statement issued by Chitungwiza Mayor Rosaria Mangoma on October 9, 2024, acknowledging the severe water shortages caused by the closure of the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant. The municipality has been receiving only 1-3 megalitres of water per day during weekends, while the daily demand is at least 75 megalitres.

This dire situation has led to residents in all 25 wards of Chitungwiza being deprived of running water. Many have resorted to unsafe sources like shallow wells and contaminated boreholes, exposing themselves to waterborne diseases.

In the letter, CHITREST's lawyers, Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, argued that the municipality's failure to provide adequate water amounts to a violation of the residents' constitutional rights to safe, clean water and a safe and healthy environment.

The lawyers blamed the municipality for failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the progressive realization of these rights, instead taking regressive steps that hinder the residents' enjoyment of these essential services.

The lack of water has exposed residents to the risk of contracting diseases like cholera and typhoid. To alleviate the crisis, CHITREST demanded that the municipality: