In a scathing indictment, the Harare Metropolitan Residents Forum (HAMREF) has launched a bombshell attack on the City of Harare, accusing it of systematically failing to provide safe drinking water and actively contributing to a public health crisis.
The group, which represents 15 different residents’ associations, claims the city is “poisoning” its own citizens by allowing rampant pollution of key water sources like Lake Chivero and the Marimba and Mukuvisi rivers.
According to HAMREF, these vital water bodies are choked with untreated sewage and industrial waste, posing a severe threat to both water security and human health.
In response to the alleged crisis, HAMREF has initiated the “Save Lake Chivero Campaign.” This community-led effort aims to clean up rivers and dams while also pursuing legal action against the institutions and companies responsible for the pollution.
HAMREF isn’t just pointing fingers at industries; it’s also directly blaming statutory bodies like the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and local authorities. The group accuses them of fueling environmental destruction by allocating ecologically sensitive land for housing and failing to enforce pre-treatment regulations for the over 300 industries that illegally discharge effluent into rivers. This, they argue, is a blatant violation of the Environmental Management Act.
At a press conference, Reuben Akili, Director of the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), highlighted the government’s continued ban on fishing in Lake Chivero as irrefutable proof of the water’s dangerous quality. “That should be an indicator to everyone that the water is of poor quality and seriously compromised,” he stated.
Akili further revealed a shocking finding: industries are charged lower water tariffs than residents, a policy he says essentially subsidizes pollution. “Industries pollute and, shockingly, they are subsidized in terms of water costs. It’s very worrying,” he said.
Precious Shumba, Director of the Harare Residents Trust (HRT), echoed these sentiments, accusing the city of billing residents for poisoned water while neglecting its duty to protect wetlands. He painted a grim picture of the water quality coming from residents’ taps, warning that it turns a “bluish-greenish” color when left overnight.
Shumba concluded that the City of Harare and EMA are “abdicating” their primary responsibility to preserve the environment and are simply “waiting for emergencies to happen.” Both leaders revealed that “cheap” penalties for polluters are so minimal that companies find it more cost-effective to pay fines than to invest in mandatory pre-treatment facilities, ensuring the cycle of pollution continues unchecked.