Civic Groups Petitions Parliament Over Privatisation Push
A civic society organisation has petitioned Parliament demanding a halt to the privatisation of water supply in Zimbabwe’s urban local authorities, warning that the move threatens constitutional rights and risks deepening inequality.
Although the Ministry of Local Government is working with Harare City Council and private contractor Helcraw to install prepaid water meters already connected to at least 15,000 households under a pilot scheme to improve revenue collection, residents’ groups and the Economic Justice for Women Project (EJWP) have denounced the initiative as a handover of municipal responsibilities to profit-driven actors and are lobbying legislators to block it, insisting that access to clean water must remain a public good.
EJWP programmes lead, Tanyaradzwa Jura, said the initiative violates Section 77 of the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to safe, clean and potable water.
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“This decision risks undermining constitutional rights and increasing social inequalities, particularly gender inequality, whilst compromising public health,” Jura said.
“The privatisation of water aligns with neo-liberal policy frameworks that emphasise profit at the expense of equity and accountability.”
Harare City Council has been struggling to provide consistent water supplies, with some suburbs only receiving tap water twice a week, a situation that has left residents vulnerable to waterborne diseases.
According to NewZimbabwe, the prepaid water metering scheme has already drawn sharp criticism from civic groups and opposition politicians who accuse government of sidelining communities in critical decisions affecting their livelihoods.
EJWP is now pushing for the enactment of a Water Justice Bill, which would enshrine public ownership of water systems and compel government to invest in community-managed infrastructure.
The group also wants a gendered human rights impact assessment conducted before any water sector reforms are implemented.
“Communities, especially women and marginalised groups, must be meaningfully consulted and included in water governance,” Jura added.
The petition and accompanying policy brief have since been tabled before Parliament for consideration.
