LOCAL residents associations have called on the government to officially declare the ongoing water crisis across the country a national disaster.
Speaking during a press conference Wednesday, the Zimbabwe Union of Residents and Ratepayers Association (ZURRA) spokesperson Marvelous Khumalo said that the situation requires urgent attention.
"The Zimbabwe Union of Residents and Ratepayers Association asserts that the water crisis is not confined to the Harare Metropolitan Province; it is a national emergency that demands immediate attention.
"We call on the President of Zimbabwe to officially declare it a national disaster.
"Given the El Niño-induced drought, a persistent lack of investment in water infrastructure, and the significant degradation of natural systems vital for water provision, immediate action is imperative to address this crisis effectively," Khumalo said.
The residents believe this will go a long way in resource mobilisation from both local and international stakeholders.
ZURRA also urged authorities and communities to intensify efforts in implementing laws against wetlands destruction.
Meanwhile, Harare Metropolitan Residents Forum (HAMREF) spokesperson Precious Shumba also weighed in saying the water crisis has led to abuse.
"This water supply gap has seen the emergence of conflicts and cases of gender-based violence at public boreholes or water points with some boreholes now being politicized by the so-called water point user committees, and some committee chairpersons demanding between US$4 to US$7 per month per household as a prerequisite for residents to access water at the boreholes," Shumba said.
The associations also raised concerns over the continuous destruction of wetlands and unregulated and over-abstraction of groundwater (water mining activities), especially among commercial users which has seriously impacted on the water table that has seen domestic boreholes drying up.
Some residents from high-density suburbs are now accessing water from rivers, shallow wells, and springs for domestic purposes that are not safe for human consumption.
