Peter Moyo
Bulawayo – The Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) has joined forces with water justice advocates to launch a national STOP WATER PRIVATIZATION ZIMBABWE campaign, opposing the government’s move to privatize urban water and sanitation services.
The campaign comes after Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, reiterated the government’s stance on privatization during a speech in Bulawayo on 28 March. Garwe, who first announced the policy on 6 January 2025, stated that privatizing water services would “kill a lot of birds with one stone.”
MIHR criticized the plan, warning that the minister’s metaphor could signal negative consequences for citizens. “Water privatization will indeed kill a lot of birds—and the citizens are those birds,” the group said in a statement.
To mobilize resistance, MIHR is organizing an International Water Privatization Virtual Learning Seminar on 3 April 2025, featuring experts from across the globe. The event will examine the risks of privatization and explore ways to protect public water access.
The government has not yet detailed how privatization will be implemented, but activists fear it could lead to higher costs and reduced services for urban residents.
