Residents of Matererini, Matapi and Shawasha flats in Mbare are living under worsening unhygienic conditions that have triggered a severe bed bug infestation, amid delays by Harare City Council to comply with a High Court order to renovate the decades-old hostels.
The High Court in 2024 ordered the local authority to upgrade the flats to meet decent living standards.
However, the renovations have not been implemented. Instead, council last year appealed the ruling, a move residents interpret as a lack of commitment to improving conditions in the overcrowded hostels.
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The deteriorating environment has left families exposed to recurring infestations, with residents linking the bed bug outbreak to broken sanitation systems, overcrowding and poor waste management.
While shifting responsibility toward residents, the City Council announced it will conduct a disinfecting programme in the affected flats.
“The City Health Department is urgently responding through a targeted chemical application programme in all affected blocks and nearby areas from the 19th of February 2026. The operation aims to protect public health and prevent further spread,” council said.
“Failure to grant access to spraying teams increases the risk of continued infestation and re-infestation of neighbouring rooms and blocks. As such, appropriate action will be taken on non-compliant residents, without any further warning, to ensure successful control of bed bugs.”
Residents argue that fumigation alone will not resolve structural decay, insisting that without full renovations as ordered by the court, infestations and health risks will persist.
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