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Through its lawyer, Martin Mureri of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the Masvingo
United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA), filed an urgent chamber application in the High
Court on Thursday 30 August 2018 seeking an order compelling MCC to provide running tap water to
residents in the ancient city.
MURRA took legal action after MCC had failed to supply running tap water to residents following a
breakdown of one of MCC’s water pumps at Bushmead Waterworks, which resulted in a 50 percent
reduction in water pumping capacity.
In its urgent chamber application, MURRA argued that MCC had violated residents’ constitutional rights
by failing to supply safe, clean and potable water as provided in section 77 of the Constitution.
In court, during a hearing presided over by Justice Joseph Mafusire, MCC agreed to supply water to
residents to all affected areas through water bowsers and other containers pending the restoration of
running tap water supplies.
In addition, MCC has now published a list of water collection sites in the city and a time schedule,
where residents are currently accessing water supplies. MCC is also supplying water to some affected
schools in an effort to mitigate the current water supply water shortages.