ZLHR condemns Kariba residents environment as violation of right to good health

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has condemned the environment of Kariba residents where the residents are still using the pre colonial toilet systems which the human rights lawyers said was a clear violation of people's rights to good health 35 years after the country attained its independence in 1980.

ZLHR communications manager Kumbirai Mafunda said the team from his organisation him included visited Kariba in Mashonaland West province and noticed on arrival that all was not well with the residents in the town due to old dilapidated toilets which they are still using to date.

"Section 73 (1) (a) of the Constitution states that "Every person has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being," said Mafunda.

"But on our trip to Kariba in Mashonaland West province.

He said ZLHR's project officers and lawyers came to realise that 35 years after Independence, the residents were still using the old toilet cisterns with leaks and difficult to use in flashing the waste after toilet use.

Indications are that residents would at times resort to flashing the waste using buckets.

The Kariba situation is one of the examples of how most residents in towns outside Harare and Bulawayo lock like and the government of Zanu PF has been accused of centralizing everything to a point of ignoring to develop other towns other than only concentrating in developing Harare.