Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has urged the Zimbabwe Government to urgently strengthen investment in water and sanitation infrastructure, warning that worsening shortages and pollution are deepening disease outbreaks, inequality and poverty. In a statement issued to mark Africa Day on 25 May 2026, ZLHR said access to safe and clean water remains a fundamental constitutional and human right directly linked to health, dignity and life.

Jacob Mafume, the Mayor of Harare, has acknowledged that the city authorities are struggling to address the capital’s worsening water crisis, warning that the scale of the problem now exceeds the municipality’s capacity.