The non-availability of water in the midst of COVID-19 : An issue of bad governance

Water is life! Water is important for the functioning of all ecological systems. With the cure for the Covid-19 not yet found, Zimbabwe has joined other countries in pronouncing a national lockdown for 21 days as a measure of preventing the spread of the virus. The fact that people will spend 21 days at home means there will be an increased demand for social services, particularly water. More so, in light of Covid-19 where organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and our own government have advised that continuously washing hands with soap plays an important role in managing the spread of the virus. Yet, access to safe, clean and portable water is scarce in Zimbabwe. 

The government and local authorities have for a long time failed to safeguard the right to clean water as provided for in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment No.20 of 2013. Section 77(a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment No.20 of 2013 notes that every person has the right to clean, safe and portable water. In some suburbs like Mabvuku in Harare and in Chitungwiza, residents go for several months without running water from the taps. This has resulted in people opting to get water from unsecured and unprotected sources such as pits and wells thus exposing them to the risk of contracting diseases such as cholera and typhoid. This situation is likely to continue even during the Covid-19 crisis. TI Z has already started receiving complaints and queries through its Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) from people who have gone for days without running water. Of concern to them is the high risk of transmitting the virus as they search for water thus increasing their vulnerability levels. They are worried about how they will survive during this crisis which requires people to exercise high levels of hygiene.  

The right to water guarantees human survival. The Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response notes that the right to water is intricately linked to other human rights, such as the right to health and the right to adequate food.  It also sets the minimum standards for water supply during emergencies. The following are some of the minimum standards on water provision during emergencies,  

1. The maximum distance from any household to the nearest water point should be 500 meters
2. Queuing time at a water source should not be more than 15 minutes
3. Water should be palatable, and of sufficient quality to be drunk and used for personal and domestic hygiene without causing significant risk to health.

Transparency International Zimbabwe asserts that although climate change has played a role in the scarcity of clean, safe and portable water, the water crises currently being faced in Harare and other parts of the country is an exhibition of governance challenges in the water sector. Evidently, allegations of corruption in the water sector are awash in the media. The failure by local authorities to provide water in the midst of a humanitarian crisis explicitly and implicitly exposes the far-reaching effects of corruption beyond the normal everyday lives, particularly to women and children who have the primary responsibility for procuring water. Thus, with the outbreak of covid-19 the poor and marginalised are likely to fail to observe the national lockdown as they will be searching for water. This exposes them to a high risk of contracting Covid-19.   

The Constitution also further states that “the State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realization of this right”.   By implication and by virtue of Zimbabwe being a signatory of regional and international anti-corruption and human rights treaties, the government has a duty to take a pro-active approach to decisively tackle corruption in Zimbabwe so that its citizens enjoy the socio-economic rights as enshrined in the Constitution. 

Transparency International Zimbabwe proffers the following recommendations in relation to curbing corruption and enhancing transparency and accountability in the water sector:

Sectorial approach to curbing corruption in the water sector: Corruption in the management of water is a perennial problem. The fact that government and local authorities fail to deliver quality water while the residents pay their bills is evidence of abuse and mismanagement of public funds. Thus there is a need to identify the risks and vulnerabilities that make corruption thrive in the water sector. This will enable relevant stakeholders to develop and implement sector-specific anti-corruption strategies that combat the leakages and mismanagement of finances allocated to the water sector.

Public participation in budgeting and expenditure tracking: Citizens are an important stakeholder in the management of water, thus it is critical to involve them during budget allocations. The local authorities and government should create platforms for wider public consultations on budgeting issues. This must also include constantly giving feedback to citizens regarding public budget expenditure in simple and easy language that can be understood by the ordinary citizen. Citizens will thus be empowered to hold public officials to account, thus improving transparency in the water service provision.

Improve access to information on water administration: Section 62 of the Constitution gives every Zimbabwean right to access information held by the state or any government institution or agency in the interest of public accountability. Local authorities should use various platforms to communicate with the public regarding the amount of money being allocated to water.  ICT tools such as websites and social media platforms can be used to share timely, reliable and credible information to the citizens regarding water administration.

Open contracting and beneficial ownership disclosure of suppliers of water related services: In line with section 72 and 73 of the new Companies and Other Business Entities Act, a beneficial owner of private players that supply services related to water should be published and accessible to the people. This will enable the public to scrutinize and hold those companies and suppliers to account in the event of non-delivery. 

Strong parliamentary oversight: Parliament has a mandate of ensuring that public funds are utilized transparently for the benefit of citizens. Through its various committees, parliament should always scrutinize procurement processes related to water. After the COVID 19, parliament should get a report from local authorities regarding their patterns of providing water to the citizens during the lockdown as well as presenting a way forward for ensuring sustainable water supply. Parliament should also scrutinize loans that are earmarked for water rehabilitation and provision.