Harare sewerage crisis deepens

The City of Harare is facing an escalating sewage crisis that has raised fears of a potential cholera outbreak across several high-density suburbs, as burst sewer systems remain unattended and sanitation conditions deteriorate.

Residents in areas such as Glen View, Kambuzuma, Mufakose, and Mbare say they have endured raw sewage spills for weeks, with some blockages reportedly left unresolved for nearly three weeks, exposing thousands to serious health risks.

The crisis has been most severe in Glen View, where the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) says the situation has reached critical levels.

CHRA director Reuben Akili said the local authority has failed to respond adequately to repeated sewer bursts in the suburb.

"We are worried about the lack of responsiveness of the local authority in addressing sewer bursts in Glen View," he said, adding that the area has become a persistent hotspot for sewage overflows.

He warned that conditions have deteriorated to the point where some residents are unable to use toilets, forcing households into unsafe sanitation practices, including open defecation.

The Harare Residents Trust also expressed concern over what it described as systemic infrastructure failure and long-standing neglect of the city's sewer systems.

Director Precious Shumba said many residents have lost confidence in the city's ability to maintain basic services, citing decades-old infrastructure that has never been upgraded to meet current demand.

He noted that engineering deficiencies dating back to the establishment of suburbs like Glen View have been worsened by population growth and alleged irregular allocation of residential stands, placing additional strain on already failing sewer networks.

Public health experts have warned that the situation could trigger a major cholera outbreak if urgent intervention is not undertaken.

Zimbabwe has previously experienced severe cholera epidemics linked to contaminated water systems, including the 2008–2009 outbreak that resulted in thousands of deaths nationwide, with Harare as the epicentre.

The City of Harare has acknowledged the crisis, with spokesperson Stanley Gama confirming that technical teams have been deployed to affected areas including Glen View and Mbare.

However, he also urged residents to avoid disposing of litter into sewer systems, saying blockages are being exacerbated by improper waste disposal practices.

Despite these interventions, residents and civic groups say the response has been too slow and insufficient, warning that without immediate and sustained infrastructure repairs, the city risks a full-scale public health emergency.