By Elishamai Alouis Ziumbwa
Civic groups, residents and ratepayers in Harare have sounded the alarm over worsening pollution at Lake Chivero warning that the contamination of the city’s main water source threatens the country’s economic and development ambitions.
In a petition to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the stakeholders described Lake Chivero a Ramsar-designated wetland as having reached critical levels of pollution urging immediate government intervention.
“Unchecked pollution at Lake Chivero is undermining our national development priorities and the health of current and future generations,” the petition reads.
The signatories blame the crisis on untreated industrial waste and raw sewage leaking from the capital’s ageing and collapsed sewer network.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has confirmed the presence of harmful algal blooms and cyanobacteria in the lake which release toxins dangerous to both humans and animals.
According to the petition, Harare’s water production has plummeted to between 320 and 350 megalitres per day far below the required 800 to 1 200 megalitres while monthly water treatment costs have soared to about US$3 million.
Beyond the city’s water woes, the pollution is also taking a toll on farmers and local businesses.
One farmer reportedly lost 80 hectares of maize irrigated with contaminated water while tourism and recreational activities at the lake have largely been suspended due to safety concerns.
The petitioners are calling on President Mnangagwa to declare the pollution crisis a national disaster under the Civil Protection Act, arguing that extraordinary measures are needed to protect public health, food security and the environment.
They are also demanding structural reforms including the creation of an independent water and wastewater regulator, rehabilitation of Harare’s sewer treatment facilities and stricter penalties for polluting industries.
“Zimbabwe’s presidency of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands from 2025 to 2028 comes with a responsibility to lead in wetland conservation. Allowing Lake Chivero to deteriorate undermines our international commitments and jeopardises the aspirations of Vision 2030,” the petition adds.
The growing public concern highlights fears that environmental neglect could erode national development gains with campaigners warning that access to clean water, food security and climate resilience all hinge on protecting vital ecosystems such as Lake Chivero.
