OPINION | Harare City Council’s Dereliction Threatens National Vision: Mbare Sewer Crisis Worsens

.

An Example of the situation in Mbare

The worsening sewer crisis in Mbare, particularly around Tagarika Flats, is not just a humanitarian disaster—it is a public health time bomb with severe economic consequences for Zimbabwe’s capital and the nation at large.

Despite repeated warnings, the City of Harare has failed to develop a lasting solution to persistent sewer bursts affecting thousands of residents. Raw effluent flowing through living spaces, especially at Block 19, has become a common sight—and a silent killer. Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care has recorded a 27% increase in waterborne disease cases in Harare Metropolitan Province over the past year, with Mbare accounting for more than 35% of reported cholera and typhoid outbreaks in the capital. In 2024 alone, over 6,000 suspected cholera cases were recorded nationally, with Mbare listed among the epicentres by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT).

The area is increasingly regarded by health experts as a disease reservoir—one capable of overwhelming the national health system due to the suburb’s strategic position.

“We have knocked on every door at City Council,” said Mr. Time Jere, a long-time resident. “They promise, they inspect, then disappear. We are left to live like animals and no one seems to care.”

Mrs. Gaudencia Chapanda said they had been left with no other option except leaving everything to God. “We are now leaving everything to the Almighty God.”She added: “Sewage is flowing everywhere. Children no longer have anywhere to play. It’s like we’re forgotten.”

The inaction is particularly perilous given Mbare’s economic significance. Home to the newly upgraded Mbare Musika Market—a key trade centre that supports over 30,000 informal traders and supplies millions across the country—the area is a vital artery in Zimbabwe’s economy. The Zimbabwe Informal Sector Association estimates that Mbare Musika generates over US$2.5 million in daily trade, making it one of the largest economic ecosystems in the country. This hub directly links rural farming communities, cross-border commerce, and urban retailers, all of which are threatened if Mbare becomes a sustained epicentre of contagious disease.

Additionally, Mbare houses the Harare Mbare Bus Terminus, serving more than 100,000 travellers daily, making it one of Southern Africa’s busiest transport nodes. Put simply, if Mbare sneezes, the whole country catches a cold. The current sanitation crisis directly undermines President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, which seeks to position Zimbabwe as an upper-middle-income economy through inclusive infrastructure development, universal healthcare, and improved service delivery.

Under the Hygiene and Environmental Health cluster of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), Zimbabwe has committed to achieving 90% access to safely managed sanitation by 2030, eliminating cholera and other waterborne diseases, and rehabilitating urban water systems in high-density suburbs. Yet, the 2024 Urban Infrastructure Audit Report reveals Harare’s sewer network is operating at just 42% functional capacity, with Mbare among the worst affected. More than 70% of Harare’s sewer infrastructure is over 40 years old—well beyond its intended lifespan.

Harare City Council’s inaction is no longer a technical issue—it is a political and administrative failure. According to the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), residents and civil society have lodged over 200 formal complaints since 2023, yet no meaningful action has followed. Meanwhile, millions in devolution funds and urban renewal grants remain unaccounted for, while city authorities continue to blame residents for illegal connections and “overburdened infrastructure.” This is not mere mismanagement—it is dereliction of duty. The current trajectory highlights a dangerous disconnect between local authorities and national development goals.

With the 2025–2026 rainy season approaching, the risk of a major outbreak is escalating. Given the City Council’s persistent failure to address the crisis, calls are growing for central government intervention under the Public Health Act and Urban Councils Act, both of which empower national authorities to assume control in emergencies where public health is compromised. Southerton Business Times urges all responsible agencies—from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government, to the Auditor-General—to act decisively before lives are lost and national progress is reversed.

The residents of Mbare deserve dignity. And Zimbabwe cannot afford to gamble with its economic hubs in pursuit of Vision 2030.