Urgent call for Chitungwiza’s access to water

Peter Tanyanyiwa

Herald Correspondent

Women4Water has called on Government to prioritise water access in the national budget, particularly for communities like Chitungwiza, which has been facing severe water shortages for over two decades.
Chitungwiza requires 70 megalitres of water daily but currently receives less than 13 megalitres from the City of Harare.

Harare is already struggling to meet its own water needs, and this creates an unsustainable situation that poses serious health risks, including cholera outbreaks.

This crisis disproportionately affects women and girls who often endure long hours to access water.

Women4Water team leader Ms Caroline Mutimbanyoka said women are facing many challenges in accessing water.

“The lack of water has turned what should be a simple task into a dangerous and dehumanising experience for many women and girls. We cannot allow this fundamental issue to be ignored,” she said.

She said Treasury should allocate funds for the development of a sustainable water source for Chitungwiza and other affected communities since access to clean water is a basic human right.

The movement said the fact that Chitungwiza relies on Harare for potable water is not sustainable. They argued that Chitungwiza needs local solutions to ensure that every household has access to clean, potable water.