Trymore Tagwirei
Harare residents have petitioned Parliament demanding immediate intervention to stop worsening water pollution that has turned Lake Chivero, the city’s main water source, into a serious public health hazard.
The petition, submitted through the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), accuses local authorities and industries of violating environmental laws through the continued discharge of untreated waste into water systems, while government agencies fail to enforce penalties.
According to the petitioners, raw sewage from Chitungwiza, Harare and Epworth continue to flow into major water sources like Lake Chivero due to collapsing sewer systems and outdated infrastructure.
Industries have also been blamed for dumping toxic effluent into municipal networks, worsening the contamination.
“Harmonise existing environmental water laws and regulations to eliminate overlapping contradictions.
“Reform water laws to establish a dedicated regulatory authority — the Water and Wastewater Services Regulatory Unit — to oversee wastewater and drinking water management, enforce standards and protect public health,” reads part of the petition.
The residents urged Parliament to review the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] to ensure that fines and permit fees reflect the real cost of environmental damage, while promoting incentives for industries to reduce pollution.
They also called for funds collected under the polluter-pays principle to be redirected exclusively toward pollution control and ecosystem restoration.
EMA spokesperson Amkela Sidange recently said the agency has repeatedly penalised the council for failing to stop sewage leaks, issuing nine tickets and environmental protection orders since 2021, with the latest served on 3 October 2025.
“Since 2021, a total of nine tickets and environmental protection orders have been issued to the Harare City Council for the continued discharge of raw sewage into Lake Chivero.
“Over and above all, the agency filed a High Court application that was received on the 3rd of June 2025.
“The court application was for Harare City Council to rectify the deplorable water reticulation system,” said Sidange.
Environmental experts warn that Lake Chivero, once a vital source of clean water and fish, is now choked by high concentrations of phosphates and nitrates, leading to excessive growth of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that produce toxins harmful to both humans and wildlife.
In November 2024, government was forced to ban fishing at Lake Chivero after pollution was linked to the deaths of four rhinos, fish and other wildlife.
