Zimbabwe News Update
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By Thandiwe GarusaResidents of Glenview, one of Harare’s cholera hotspots, have petitioned Mayor Jacob Mafume to stop the planned demolition of a public borehole that serves more than 2,800 people.The move follows a 48-hour removal notice issued by the City of Harare, ordering the clearing of the borehole site to pave way for four residential infill stands. The council cited “illegal occupation” under municipal by-laws.The borehole, drilled in 2019 under the Presidential Borehole Scheme, remains the community’s main source of clean water in an area already suffering from severe shortages.
No alternative water source has been proposed to replace it.In a petition signed by 280 residents and submitted to the mayor on Wednesday, the community urged council to form a special committee to investigate the land allocations and assess how many boreholes would be affected by the planned housing development.“The Petitioner beseeches the Harare City Council to establish a Special Committee pursuant to Section 100 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15), conduct an investigation into the allocation of infill residential stands in Glen View, determine the number of boreholes that will be affected, and provide recommendations to mitigate the water supply issues that may arise from the removal of the boreholes,” the petition reads in part.Residents warned that demolishing the borehole without providing an alternative water source would violate their constitutional right to water and risk triggering another public health crisis in the cholera-prone suburb.They also questioned how stands approved in 2024 could overlap with a borehole installed in 2018 and upgraded in 2025, describing the sequence as evidence of poor planning and possible corruption.Adding to their frustration, residents said individuals allocated the contested stands have already begun bringing building materials to the site, despite the ongoing dispute.The petitioners further demanded that the City of Harare convene a public meeting to release documents showing whether the land was properly allocated before the borehole was drilled.
Residents of Glenview, one of Harare’s cholera hotspots, have petitioned Mayor Jacob Mafume to stop the planned demolition of a public borehole that serves more than 2,800 people.
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