Mufakose residents have petitioned the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission over unattended sewer bursts that have triggered diarrhoea outbreaks and forced some families to abandon their homes.
In their complaint, the residents cited violations of Sections 73(1), 51, and 48 of the Constitution, which guarantee the right to an environment not harmful to health, the right to human dignity, and the right to life.
Combined Harare Residents Association chairperson David Pasipanodya said the local authority’s failure to act had exposed residents to serious danger.
“The failure by the City of Harare to repair sewer bursts in Mufakose has resulted in gross human rights violations. Families are living in flooded homes while children and the elderly are being exposed to disease. This negligence cannot continue unchecked,” he said.
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Pasipanodya urged the ZHRC to urgently exercise its constitutional mandate.
“We are calling on the Commission to investigate and assess the impact of the City of Harare’s conduct. Immediate action must be taken to avert further human rights violations,” he said.
The residents are demanding urgent repairs to restore sanitary conditions, free medical services for diarrhoea patients at council and government health facilities, compensation for households displaced by sewer flooding along Nondo Street, and the provision of mobile toilets in affected areas.
“The residents of Mufakose deserve justice and redress. It is within the ZHRC’s mandate, as outlined in Sections 233(f) and 243(g) of the Constitution, to ensure accountability and provide remedies where rights have been violated,” Pasipanodya said.
The development comes as Harare continues to grapple with recurring waterborne disease outbreaks, including diarrhoea and cholera, worsened by collapsing water and sanitation infrastructure.
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