Residents of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe’s largest dormitory town, are urgently calling on local authorities to resolve ongoing water shortages affecting the area.
Represented by the Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST), the residents have sent a formal letter to the Chitungwiza Municipality, expressing their frustration over the lack of access to adequate, safe, and clean water.
In the letter dated October 10, 2024, written by lawyers Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), CHITREST asserts that the municipality’s failure to supply sufficient water violates residents’ constitutional rights to water and to a safe, healthy environment.
The water crisis has intensified since the closure of the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant, which has left Chitungwiza with only 1-3 megalitres of water available on weekends, while the daily demand is at least 75 megalitres.
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As a result, none of the 25 wards in Chitungwiza are receiving running potable water, forcing residents to turn to unsafe alternatives such as shallow wells and possibly contaminated boreholes, which increases their risk of waterborne diseases.
CHITREST has demanded that the municipality promptly provide clean water via water trucks, ensure all boreholes are equipped with chlorine tablets or chlorinators, and present a long-term strategy to tackle the water crisis.
If these demands are not met, CHITREST may pursue legal action against the local authority to compel it to resolve the ongoing water issues.
