Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke
Municipal Correspondent
HARARE City Council has directed that a private cemetery construction project be halted, saying the city’s health department has not yet issued an operating licence due to health-related reservations raised by stakeholders.
The city wants Watervlei Burial Park, located along Seke Road, to stop its operations, saying critical regulatory and environmental concerns have not yet been complied with, given the inherent health risk the project poses to Harare residents.
A fortnight ago, proprietors of Watervlei announced the resumption of the project, claiming they had secured some funding but remained silent on the health-related concerns raised by stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora raised concerns about the project, which is located over the main trunk to the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant along Seke Road.
In an interview, Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Stanley Gama said the local authority’s position had not changed, insisting that the project had not met all the necessary statutory requirements.
“A town planning permit was granted, but subsequent processes stalled,” said Mr Gama.
“The issuance of an operating licence by the Director of Health Services is still pending. Harare Water also has concerns about the establishment because it is too close to our water lines and the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant.”
Mr Gama said the city’s technical departments had also declined to approve the cemetery project, citing the potential risks it poses to Harare’s water infrastructure and public health.
“The Ministry of Health is of the view that any new burials in the area are unacceptable,” he said.
He added that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) associated with the project had also failed to adequately address key issues.
“I am informed that the EIA was criticised for lack of comprehensiveness, especially during the consultative process,” said Mr Gama.
He said recent media reports suggesting the resumption of the project were misleading and did not reflect the position of the city fathers.
“So, the article is, to some extent, misleading.”
Last year, the Harare Water Department had warned against the cemetery’s construction, citing significant health risks for the community.
The cemetery’s proximity to the stream that feeds into the raw water source raises further alarm about potential contamination of Seke Dam.
Concerns have been raised regarding the issuance of permits without a completed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
Experts have highlighted the high likelihood of water contamination, particularly involving chemicals from embalming fluids and preservatives that could seep into the groundwater.
In February 2025, Mr Samuel Nyabezi, the acting director of Urban Planning in Harare, had indicated that an earlier permit had been issued with certain conditions that should be met, failing which it would be revoked.
This was before Dr Mombeshora weighed in to stop the project.
