Online Reporter
Municipal Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has suspended operations at Watervlei Burial Memorial Park, a private cemetery project along Seke Road in Harare, pending investigations into environmental and public health concerns raised by the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant team and other stakeholders.
The latest decision by the Government follows the resumption of construction works by the proprietors of the project, despite an earlier directive last year by Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora, who said the project posed inherent environmental and public health risks, given it was constructed on top of water treatment pipes, among other health concerns.
In an interview yesterday, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe confirmed the suspension, saying no further work should take place at the site while investigations are underway.
“We have suspended all operations pending investigations into the circumstances surrounding the scope and efficacy of the project. At the moment, no operations at the site should be conducted as all construction work stands suspended,” he said.
Earlier, authorities at the Prince Edward treatment plant had raised a red flag over the resurgence of construction work by the project’s proprietors.
The burial park, located along Seke Road, was initially ordered to cease operations by the Government in 2025 after concerns were raised about compliance with stipulated conditions. In an internal memo dated June 25, 2026, authorities at Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant raised concern over the re-emergence of construction works at the site after the project had initially been halted.
The authorities said the proposed burial site was “too close to a stream feeding into the Seke Dam” and “sits directly on the main trunk line of Prince Edward water treatment plant”.
The official also warned of possible contamination of Harare’s water supply.
“The proximity of the graveyard to raw water sources raises concern that embalming chemicals could seep into ground and surface water, threatening the safety of Harare’s water supply,” the memo said. The memo further warned that excavation could result in soil being washed into Seke Dam, causing siltation and reducing the dam’s storage capacity.
“If the project is allowed to proceed without due diligence, and ignoring the three major risks mentioned above, then we are heading for serious environmental and human health risks,” the official said. Commenting on the project, Acting town planning director Engineer Samuel Nyabezi said developers of the project had failed to comply with conditions contained in an initial permit issued around 2019.
He said no consultations had been done with stakeholders, including Harare Water, on the efficacy of the project.
Eng Nyabezi said they will enforce measures to ensure that the developer ceases operations at the site. He said the initial permit issued in 2019 lapsed before it was extended in 2022 after the developer failed to implement the project within the stipulated period.
Eng Nyabezi said another extension was made, but it subsequently lapsed on June 30, 2024.
