Rutendo Chirume

The Zimbabwean government’s plan to privatize water services has ignited fierce criticism from women’s rights advocates and civil society groups, who warn the move will deepen the crisis for struggling families and disproportionately burden women with unpaid care work.

Announced earlier this year by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, the privatization initiative is set to begin in major urban centers including Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls.

The government argues the move is necessary to address persistent water shortages caused by local authorities’ failure to provide reliable services.

However, the Economic Justice for Women Project (EJWP), a non-profit organization championing women’s economic rights, has called on Parliament to halt the plan and instead pass a Water Justice Bill that guarantees public ownership.

In a press statement dated September 18, 2025, EJWP criticized the privatization model as rooted in neo-liberal frameworks that prioritize profit over equity and accountability.

“The privatization will hit women hardest, as they shoulder the responsibility of fetching water, safeguarding hygiene, and protecting family health,” the statement read.

EJWP further warned that in Harare, where water access is already severely rationed, privatization could exacerbate health risks by reducing access to safe water and increasing the prevalence of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

“With rationing already crippling Harare’s high-density suburbs, many households survive on unsafe wells and crowded boreholes—conditions that have fuelled deadly outbreaks,” the organization added.

Rueben Akili, director of the Combined Harare Residents’ Association (CHRA), echoed these concerns in an interview with EnviroPress, arguing that privatization tends to raise tariffs without delivering improved efficiency.

“This policy has proven economically and politically bankrupt. For example, in England and France, governments are reversing privatization and restoring water services to municipalities—clear proof that the model is unsuitable for Zimbabwe,” Akili said.