Residents of Redcliff have filed a lawsuit against their local municipality, Redcliff Municipality, for failing to provide them with water for the past three years.
The Combined Redcliffe Residents and Tenants Association (CRRTA) filed the court application arguing that the council has neglected their areas while providing water to other suburbs.
According to the CRRTA’s court application seen by Bustop-TV: “there has been no running water in the areas of Redcliff, Millenium Park and Engelbretch which are all under Redcliff Municipality for the past three years”.
The court application highlights the disparity in water provision by the municipality and: “numerous engagements have been attempted between residents, residents associations and the Municipality to no avail. There have been excuses after excuses but without relief.”
“This is so despite the fact other areas like Simbi and Rutendo residential areas, which are also under Redcliff Municipality have water supply. This is a stark difference from the situation obtaining in other areas under the very same municipality,” reads the court application.
It also indicates that their taps have run dry, the toilets are no longer unusable and many have resorted to using bush toilets, raising concerns about potential outbreaks of diseases like cholera and typhoid.
The residents argue that the council’s failure to distribute water fairly constitutes negligence. “Our council was at least supposed to distribute or ration whatever little they may allege is there fairly to all,” the application states.
The right to safe drinking water is recognized not only as a human right by the United Nations, but also enshrined in Zimbabwe’s constitution.
Section 77 of the country’s constitution guarantees access to this essential resource. This reflects the international recognition of water as a human right on July 28th, 2010 by the UN General Assembly through Resolution 64/292.
