Peter Moyo
HARARE, Zimbabwe—Zimbabwe’s Parliament erupted in urgency this week as lawmakers exposed a harrowing reality: pregnant women in rural districts are being forced to collect water from crocodile-infested rivers after hospitals ran dry due to catastrophic water shortages.
The crisis, fueled by collapsing infrastructure and relentless power cuts, has ignited national outrage, with legislators demanding immediate government action to avert a public health disaster.
During a heated February 26 parliamentary session, Hon. Lusyomo Nyelele, a Matabeleland North Women’s Quota MP delivered a chilling account of rural healthcare systems pushed to the brink. “Imagine a woman in labor being told to fetch water from rivers teeming with crocodiles because hospital taps are dry,” she said. “This isn’t just a failure—it’s a constitutional emergency.”
Her remarks spotlighted the dire state of Zimbabwe’s rural district councils (RDCs), where electricity shortages have crippled water pumps, leaving hospitals, schools, and communities without clean water for days. Schools have shuttered, and medical staff reportedly reuse gloves or halt surgeries due to unsanitary conditions.
At the heart of the crisis lies Zimbabwe’s crumbling energy grid. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), responsible for 435 rural water supply points, relies on electricity to operate pumps. But with load-shedding—planned power cuts—rampant, stations sit idle, forcing communities to risk drinking from unsafe sources.
“When there’s no electricity, there’s no water. It’s life or death,” Hon. Nyelele argued, demanding accountability.
Responding to the outcry, Minister of Lands and Water Resources Dr. Anxious Masuka acknowledged the state’s duty to provide water under Zimbabwe’s constitution. “Access to safe water is a right, not a privilege,” he said, detailing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ZINWA and power utility ZESA to prioritize electricity for water stations.
But progress remains uneven. In January 2025, only 61% of ZINWA sites had reliable power—leaving hundreds of thousands stranded. Minister Masuka pledged to “investigate every case” and fast-track solar-powered pumps to bypass the grid entirely. “Renewable energy is key to long-term solutions,” he added.
The fallout extends far beyond hospitals. In villages, children miss school to trek miles for water. Families drink from contaminated wells, risking cholera outbreaks. A nurse at a rural clinic, who asked to remain anonymous, told Matebeleland Pulse: “We’re rationing drips for newborns. Without water, we can’t sterilize equipment or even wash bedsheets.”
Parliamentarians warn the crisis could trigger epidemics. “Empty taps today mean disease tomorrow,” said Hon. Nyelele.
