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Zimbabwe violates international law on the right to health
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
November 02, 2007

The poor water delivery system that has characterized the takeover of sewer and water delivery from urban councils by the government-run Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has witnessed the violation of human rights especially the right to health.

Erratic water shortages, dysfunctional sewer systems and unsafe drinking water due to shortages of chemicals in most urban areas in the country has seen the government of Zimbabwe failing to meet its state obligations under the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the 1976 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

It is difficult to comprehend how the government of Zimbabwe can implement its state obligations under these two United Nations covenants in the absence of clean drinking water and a functional sewage reticulation system.

Article 25.1 of the 1948 UDHR that: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services."

The UN Charter states that it is the duty of the State to ensure that it promotes universal respect for and observance of human rights and freedoms but the Zimbabwean government has failed to meet this obligation.

More so ICESR affirms that the state should see to it that it takes necessary steps to provide the reduction of the stillbirth-rate and of infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child and the improvement of all aspects of environmental and industrial hygiene.

Since ZINWA took over the administration of water and the sewer reticulation high density suburbs have suffered the most. Unattended water pipe bursts and raw sewages flowing all over in suburbs like Mbare, Highfields and St. Mary's have characterized ZINWA administration.

The government of Zimbabwe should stop interfering with the local-urban councils and concentrate on resolving the crisis in the country. The resolution of the governance crisis will unlock investment and the liberalization of the economy, increase industrial export production and increase the in-flow of foreign currency needed to import water treatment chemicals and purchase pipes to overhaul the sewer reticulation systems in most urban centers of the country.

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