Mafume appeals to Mnangagwa over escalating water crisis

Jacob Mafume has written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa seeking urgent intervention as Harare faces a worsening water crisis. In the letter, Mafume warned that contamination of Lake Chivero and failing water infrastructure now present an "imminent threat to public health" beyond the municipality's capacity to manage.

The mayor highlighted the long-delayed Kunzvi Dam project - conceived in the 1970s - as a critical solution to supplement the city's water supply. Construction has repeatedly stalled due to funding constraints. Mafume urged that national intervention is necessary to bypass bureaucratic delays and enable a coordinated response.

"The gravity of this crisis necessitates action beyond the normal administrative processes as the risks to life and health can never be overstated," Mafume wrote, calling for measures including declaring a state of emergency for Harare's water and wastewater systems.

Speaking at the Edith Opperman project's official commencement, Mafume defended his appeal, noting that involving the president is not a sign of failure but a way to ensure urgent issues receive attention. He emphasised that some interventions, such as upgrading the Morton Jaffray water treatment plant—one of the largest in southern Africa—require national-level authority.

Harare's water challenges stem from decades of aging infrastructure, industrial pollution, and financial mismanagement. Many residents currently go days or weeks without running water, and when supplies are restored, the water is often discoloured or smells of sewage, forcing reliance on shallow wells.

Mafume stressed that the municipality alone cannot resolve the crisis and called for a "one government approach" to stabilise services and safeguard public health.