Residents of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe’s largest dormitory town, are urgently calling on local authorities to tackle ongoing water shortages that have become a critical issue in the area.
Represented by the Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST), the residents have submitted a formal demand letter to the Chitungwiza Municipality, expressing their frustration over the lack of sufficient access to safe and clean water.
This letter, penned by lawyers Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) on October 10, 2024, emphasizes that the municipality’s failure to provide adequate water violates the residents’ constitutional rights to both water and a safe, healthy environment.
The water crisis in Chitungwiza has escalated following the closure of the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant, which has left the town with a mere 1 to 3 megalitres of water available on weekends, compared to the daily demand of at least 75 megalitres.
As a result, all 25 wards in Chitungwiza are without reliable access to potable water. Many residents have been forced to turn to unsafe sources, such as shallow wells and potentially contaminated boreholes, increasing their risk of waterborne diseases.
In their letter, CHITREST demands that the municipality take immediate action to deliver clean water via tankers, equip all boreholes with chlorine tablets or chlorinators, and provide a comprehensive plan to resolve the water crisis in the long term. The residents have warned that if their demands are not met, they may pursue legal action against the local authority to ensure that their basic water needs are addressed.
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