Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
INDUSTRY leaders and environmental campaigners in Mutare have raised alarm over worsening pollution in the city’s rivers, warning that untreated sewage and waste are threatening downstream communities.
Speaking during the Mutare River Conservation and Business Forum 2026 this morning, Manicaland president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), Mr Bernard Makoni described the condition of the Mutare River as deplorable and called for urgent action to address contamination flowing into nearby waterways.
Mr Makoni said industries acknowledge that their operations contribute effluent to the city’s sewer system, but stressed that discharged water should not endanger downstream communities.
He also raised concern over the state of the city’s sewer infrastructure, saying pollution was largely linked to the dilapidated system, under the responsibility of the Mutare City Council, with oversight from the Environmental Management Agency.
Environmental campaigner Ms Lynn James, of the Mutare Rivers Rehabilitation Initiative, said the pollution crisis has persisted for nearly three decades, warning that communities and ecosystems continue to bear the brunt of water contamination.
The forum brought together industry, residents and environmental groups to seek practical solutions to restore Mutare’s rivers.
