News / National
ZLHR happy over Masvingo council efforts to deliver water to residents
16 Sep 2018 at 09:01hrs | Views
Zimbabwe Lawyers for human Rights have expressed happiness that Masvingo City Council (MCC) begun supplying water to residents at some designated collection points.
This was after a residents association petitioned the High Court seeking to compel the local authority to alleviate the water shortages.
Through its lawyer, Martin Mureri of ZLHR, the Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA), filed an urgent chamber application in the High Court on August 30 seeking an order compelling MCC to provide running tap water to residents in the ancient city.
MURRA took legal action after MCC had failed to supply running tap water to residents following a breakdown of one of MCC's water pumps at Bushmead Waterworks, which resulted in a 50 percent reduction in water pumping capacity.
In its urgent chamber application, MURRA argued that MCC had violated residents' constitutional rights by failing to supply safe, clean and potable water as provided in section 77 of the Constitution.
In court, during a hearing presided over by Justice Joseph Mafusire, MCC agreed to supply water to residents to all affected areas through water bowsers and other containers pending the restoration of running tap water supplies.
In addition, MCC has now published a list of water collection sites in the city and a time schedule, where residents are currently accessing water supplies. MCC is also supplying water to some affected schools in an effort to mitigate the current water supply water shortages.
This was after a residents association petitioned the High Court seeking to compel the local authority to alleviate the water shortages.
Through its lawyer, Martin Mureri of ZLHR, the Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA), filed an urgent chamber application in the High Court on August 30 seeking an order compelling MCC to provide running tap water to residents in the ancient city.
In its urgent chamber application, MURRA argued that MCC had violated residents' constitutional rights by failing to supply safe, clean and potable water as provided in section 77 of the Constitution.
In court, during a hearing presided over by Justice Joseph Mafusire, MCC agreed to supply water to residents to all affected areas through water bowsers and other containers pending the restoration of running tap water supplies.
In addition, MCC has now published a list of water collection sites in the city and a time schedule, where residents are currently accessing water supplies. MCC is also supplying water to some affected schools in an effort to mitigate the current water supply water shortages.
Source - Byo24News
