Meanwhile, tensions are also rising between the city council and residents over the rollout of smart water meters. During a meeting organised by the Community Water Alliance, residents criticised the council’s priorities, arguing that authorities should focus first on fixing infrastructure losses. Goodlife Mudzingwa, national coordinator of the alliance, said nearly 60 percent of Harare’s treated water is lost through leaks and ageing infrastructure. Mudzingwa also pointed ou

Residents of Zvishavane are facing reduced water supplies after sludge from illegal mining activities contaminated the Ngezi River, significantly increasing the cost of treating water for the town. The chairman of the Zvishavane Town Council (ZTC), Takarangana Keta, said the local authority has been forced to cut the town’s daily treated water output to manage the rising costs.

Informal transport operators in Bulawayo have begun using wheelbarrows and small hand-pulled trolleys to move goods following a municipal ban on pushcarts within the city’s central business district (CBD). The ban was introduced under Statutory Instrument 220 of 2023, which prohibits pushcarts from operating in the CBD area bordered by Naison Kutshwekhaya Ndlovu Avenue, Lobengula Street, Joseph Msika Avenue, and Robert Mugabe Way. Authorities say the measure was introduced to