ZANU PF Chair Blames Harare Council for ‘Criminal Negligence’ After Three Drown in Open Sewer Pit

12HARARE – ZANU PF Harare Provincial Chairman Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa has accused the Harare City Council of criminal negligence following the deaths of three people who drowned in an unguarded sewer pit in Budiriro 3, describing the tragedy as a direct consequence of the local authority’s failure to secure hazardous municipal works.The three bodies – a young woman, a second man, and a young man whose fall was initially reported – were retrieved from a sewage pond in the high-density suburb after emergency services raced to the scene late Monday. The recovery operation, led by the police sub-aqua unit and the City of Harare Fire Brigade, concluded in the early hours of Tuesday following a gruelling night search in treacherous conditions.Cde Masimirembwa, who visited the scene shortly after the bodies were recovered, expressed deep sorrow over what he termed a preventable catastrophe.“Our hearts are shattered for the families who have lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy,” Cde Masimirembwa said. “No family should have to endure such pain, and we stand with you in this darkest hour, praying for strength and comfort.”But the provincial chairman quickly turned his ire on the municipality, alleging that the open excavation had been left exposed and unmarked for several months – a hazard that residents had repeatedly flagged to local leadership.Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa8“This is a clear case of criminal negligence by the Harare City Council,” Cde Masimirembwa charged.

“How can a massive open pit be left unsecured in a residential area? The council has blood on its hands.”He called for an urgent audit of all municipal work sites across the capital and demanded that officials found responsible be held to account without delay.“These were precious lives of young people with dreams and futures. Their deaths did not have to happen,” he added.In response, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has ordered an urgent investigation into the incident, demanding a preliminary report within hours.

Police have also launched an inquest, with detectives interviewing residents and council workers.In a brief statement, the City of Harare extended its condolences to the families of the three deceased, describing the deaths as “tragic and deeply regrettable”. The council promised to cooperate fully with investigators.However, residents of Budiriro 3 expressed outrage, saying they had warned the local authority on numerous occasions about the danger posed by the unfenced pit, which had filled with rainwater and sewage sludge.“We told them someone would die here,” said one neighbour, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals. “They did nothing.

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Now three people are gone. It’s not an accident – it’s murder by neglect.”Despite his sharp criticism of the council, Cde Masimirembwa took time to praise the emergency personnel who worked through the night under perilous conditions.“I want to also extend my profound gratitude to the brave rescue teams,” he said. “The divers, the fire brigade, and the volunteers showed incredible courage working through the night under dangerous conditions to retrieve the victims, and we owe them our deepest thanks.”The recovery effort was hampered by thick mud and poor visibility, with divers forced to search by touch alone.

One firefighter was treated for exhaustion at the scene.Cde Masimirembwa urged Government to step in and provide immediate burial assistance to the bereaved families, and to consider compensation for what he called “unlawful loss of life due to state-council negligence”.“The families must not be left to bear the cost of this tragedy alone,” he said. “This council must be made an example. If we do not act decisively, how many more will die before we learn?”The bodies have been taken to Harare’s central mortuary for post-mortem examinations.

Family members were still being identified by police at the time of publication and formal identifications are expected later today.This latest incident has reignited long-standing concerns over the collapse of infrastructure maintenance in Harare, where unmarked trenches, open manholes and exposed stormwater drains have claimed multiple lives in recent years. Critics say the city council has routinely ignored safety protocols, prioritising political turf wars over basic service delivery.City of HarareGoodwillsmasimirembwaJacob Mafume HARARE – ZANU PF Harare Provincial Chairman Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa has accused the Harare City Council of criminal negligence following the deaths of three people who drowned in an unguarded sewer pit in Budiriro 3, describing the tragedy as a direct consequence of the local authority’s failure to secure hazardous municipal works. The three bodies – a young woman, a second man, and a young man whose fall was initially reported – were retrieved from a sewage pond in the high-density suburb after emergency services raced to the scene late Monday.

The recovery operation, led by the police sub-aqua unit and the City of Harare Fire Brigade, concluded in the early hours of Tuesday following a gruelling night search in treacherous conditions. Cde Masimirembwa, who visited the scene shortly after the bodies were recovered, expressed deep sorrow over what he termed a preventable catastrophe. “Our hearts are shattered for the families who have lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy,” Cde Masimirembwa said.

“No family should have to endure such pain, and we stand with you in this darkest hour, praying for strength and comfort.” But the provincial chairman quickly turned his ire on the municipality, alleging that the open excavation had been left exposed and unmarked for several months – a hazard that residents had repeatedly flagged to local leadership. “This is a clear case of criminal negligence by the Harare City Council,” Cde Masimirembwa charged. The council has blood on its hands.” He called for an urgent audit of all municipal work sites across the capital and demanded that officials found responsible be held to account without delay.

“These were precious lives of young people with dreams and futures. Their deaths did not have to happen,” he added. In response, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has ordered an urgent investigation into the incident, demanding a preliminary report within hours.

Police have also launched an inquest, with detectives interviewing residents and council workers. In a brief statement, the City of Harare extended its condolences to the families of the three deceased, describing the deaths as “tragic and deeply regrettable”. The council promised to cooperate fully with investigators. However, residents of Budiriro 3 expressed outrage, saying they had warned the local authority on numerous occasions about the danger posed by the unfenced pit, which had filled with rainwater and sewage sludge.

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