CHRA urges Government to declare Lake Chivero pollution a national disaster

CHRA calls for Lake Chivero pollution to be declared a national disaster

HARARE – The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has called on the Government to declare the worsening pollution of Lake Chivero a state of national disaster, warning that unchecked contamination is threatening public health, increasing water treatment costs and undermining Zimbabwe's environmental sustainability.

Speaking at a media briefing in Harare on Tuesday, CHRA Programmes Manager Mable Murambiwa described the pollution of Lake Chivero and other water sources in the Upper Manyame Catchment as one of the country's most urgent environmental and public health emergencies.

"The continued pollution of water sources continues to violate residents' constitutionally guaranteed right to a clean environment as well as clean, safe and potable water as espoused under Sections 73 and 77 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe," Murambiwa said.

Lake Chivero is Harare's principal raw water source, supplying millions of residents in the capital and surrounding towns. However, decades of untreated sewage discharges, industrial pollution and invasive aquatic weeds have severely degraded water quality, forcing the City of Harare to spend millions of dollars annually on water purification chemicals.

Murambiwa attributed the deteriorating water quality to industries that continue to discharge untreated effluent into municipal sewer systems without installing mandatory pre-treatment facilities as required under the Environmental Management Act. She said recurring sewer bursts and infrastructure failures in Crowborough, Firle and Chitungwiza have further worsened pollution flowing into Harare's rivers and ultimately Lake Chivero.

According to CHRA, an estimated 250 million litres of raw sewage enter the lake every day, accelerating eutrophication, algal blooms and the deterioration of Zimbabwe's largest urban water reservoir. Murambiwa said CHRA's research had identified several weaknesses in Zimbabwe's environmental management framework, including fragmented legislation, overlapping institutional responsibilities, weak regulatory enforcement and poor coordination among Government agencies.

She also criticised existing pollution permit fees and penalties, arguing that they fail to discourage environmental violations.

"In Zimbabwe, it is cheaper to pollute rather than comply with the environmental water laws."

The residents' association also warned members of the public against purchasing fish caught illegally from Lake Chivero, saying contamination poses potential health risks to consumers. Environmental experts have previously raised concerns about the accumulation of pollutants, including heavy metals and harmful bacteria, in contaminated water bodies, although regular monitoring and food safety assessments remain essential in determining risks to human health.

Murambiwa said CHRA has developed a Model Statutory Instrument based on the internationally recognised "polluter pays" principle, which would require industries responsible for pollution to bear the full costs of environmental rehabilitation and ecosystem restoration. The organisation also plans to launch a nationwide public awareness campaign targeting councillors, Members of Parliament, Government departments, community leaders and residents to strengthen compliance with environmental legislation.

In addition, CHRA is urging Parliament to fast-track amendments to the Environmental Management Act, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) Act and the Water Act to strengthen Zimbabwe's legal response to water pollution.

"The situation at Lake Chivero deserves urgent attention and is, in itself, a state of national disaster," Murambiwa said.

Environmental groups have long argued that restoring Lake Chivero will require substantial investment in sewer infrastructure, stricter enforcement of pollution control laws and coordinated action by central Government, local authorities, industry and residents.

Lake Chivero pollution