Chitungwiza Residents Sue Municipality Over Decades-Long Sewage Crisis

By Southerton Business Times Reporter | Harare

Residents of Chitungwiza have taken the Chitungwiza Municipality to the High Court, seeking an order compelling the local authority to end decades of raw sewage pollution that they say has endangered public health, contaminated water sources and violated their constitutional rights.

The application was filed at the High Court of Zimbabwe on 23 July 2026 by the Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST) together with eight residents: Langton Nyakudya, Michael Kuvheya, Fred Farai Nyakudanga, Innocent Gondora, Phillipa Kawamba, Muchaneta Chimuka, Angela Chefu and Ruramai Chipengo. The applicants are represented by lawyers Kelvin Kabaya and Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

According to the court application, residents say untreated sewage has continued to overflow into residential areas, exposing families to serious health hazards. They allege that raw sewage is flowing directly into homes, while persistent foul odours have made living conditions unbearable. The applicants further argue that domestic boreholes have been contaminated, increasing the risk of water-borne diseases, while sewage spillages have affected access to some schools after entrance and exit points became flooded with effluent.

According to ZLHR, the residents contend that Chitungwiza's sewer infrastructure has failed to keep pace with rapid population growth and commercial development.

They argue that the sewer network was never adequately upgraded to accommodate the municipality's expanding population, resulting in frequent pipe bursts, overflowing manholes and untreated sewage discharge.

The applicants argue that the municipality's continued failure to repair and maintain the sewerage system violates several constitutional rights, including the right to life (Section 48), the right to human dignity (Section 51) and the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being (Section 73). They also contend that the local authority has breached its statutory obligations under the Urban Councils Act, the Environmental Management Act and the Public Health Act.

Under Section 168 of the Urban Councils Act, municipalities are required to ensure the proper collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal of sewage. The residents argue that Chitungwiza Municipality has failed to fulfil those obligations despite the crisis persisting for decades.

The applicants are asking the High Court to compel the municipality to upgrade and repair its sewer infrastructure within three months of the court granting the order. They also want the court to direct the local authority to prepare and publish an emergency action plan within one month, detailing short-, medium- and long-term measures to repair, maintain and modernise the sewer network. In addition, they seek a declaratory order confirming that the municipality's failure to adequately manage sewage is unconstitutional and unlawful. The residents further want the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to monitor the municipality's compliance with any court-ordered emergency plan.

Chitungwiza has for years experienced recurring sewage overflows, with residents and public health experts warning that ageing infrastructure, population growth and inadequate investment have increased the risk of disease outbreaks and environmental pollution.

The High Court has not yet set a date for hearing the application.

Chitungwiza sewage crisis