from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – ENVIRONMENTAL and water rights campaigners have given an ultimatum to authorities to stop endangering the lives of people and animals through discharging raw sewage effluent into Zimbabwe’s capital city’s primary water source.
They have petitioned the City of Harare (CoH), the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council (UMSCC).
Harare Wetlands Trust (HWT) also said it had learnt about the contamination of Lake Chivero from a press statement published by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority on its social media platforms, where it advised that four rhinos, three zebras, four wildebeests, four fish eagles as well as an undisclosed number of cattle and goats from nearby farms had died due to cyanobacteria contamination at Lake Chivero Recreational Park.
HWT believes that the pollution by cyanobacteria is caused by CoH’s conduct of constantly dumping raw sewage effluent in Lake Chivero over the years and expressed its concern that the dire situation can lead to the loss of animal life, aqua life and aqua bio-diversity.
The environmental rights lobby organisation said several people carry out fishing activities in Lake Chivero in which they obtain fish for resale and consumption and this has a ripple effect on people consuming contaminated fish.
The environmental and water rights lobbyists demanded that CoH should within 48 hours, from Monday this week, immediately take measures to decontaminate Lake Chivero and immediately stop discharging raw sewage effluent into it.
Comment could not be obtained from authorities but Zimbabwean cities are struggling to provide clean water to residents.
However, opposition leader for Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats, Linda Tsungirirai Masarira, took a swipe at the state of Lake Chivero accusing the City of Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume urging residents to consume the highly contaminated water.
“Such statements demonstrate a blatant disregard for the health and well-being of the people of Harare, as well as a lack of understanding of the city council’s constitutional obligations,” Masarira said.
She said the city council was entrusted with the duty to ensure access to clean water, which Harare city council is failing to uphold.
“Lake Chivero is not only a source of water but also an essential ecosystem supporting aquatic life and biodiversity. The ongoing contamination of the lake, primarily through untreated raw sewage being discharged into its waters, has resulted in the death of aqua life, threatening the ecological balance. This is a clear violation of Section 73 of the Constitution, which guarantees every Zimbabwean the right to a clean environment that must be protected for present and future generations,” Masarira said.
She called upon the Harare City Council to immediately take steps to address the pollution of Lake Chivero.
“Failure to do so undermines efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which calls for ensuring the availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for all. Stop making insensitive and irresponsible statements that disregard public health concerns,” Masarira said.
She urged the city of Harare to prioritize the rehabilitation of Lake Chivero through comprehensive wastewater treatment systems to prevent further contamination.
“It is unacceptable that residents of Harare should bear the brunt of the City Council’s failures, risking their health and survival due to poor governance and lack of accountability. Access to clean water is a basic human right, and any failure to provide it is a betrayal of the people of Harare and the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” Masarira said.
– CAJ News