Policy, Research, Planning, Programs &
Coordination in the Ministry of Local
Government, Public Works and National
Housing.
The ETWG identified the “right to water”
as a priority right as was identified by the
Baseline Survey on the status of human rights
in Zimbabwe2. The “right to water” entitles
everyone to safe, clean and potable water
for personal and domestic uses. The major
activities of the ETWG comprise:
10.5.1. Conference on the Right to Safe And
Potable Drinking Water
The Environmental Thematic Working
Group (ETWG) conducted a workshop on
the realisation of the right to safe, clean and
portable water in Zimbabwe to deliberate on
the Constitutional right to water by different
stakeholders and the communities affected.
The ETWG used the outcomes to plan on
the strategies to lobby Parliament, relevant
Authorities such as EMA, Government
Ministries and the Private Sector in order
to facilitate measures that promote the
realisation of the right to “sufficient, safe,
accessible and affordable water, without
discrimination”. It also came out during the
conference that the government was expected
to take reasonable steps to ensure that water
sources should not be contaminated and that
every person should have access to the vital
resource and that the right to water has a
bearing on other fundamental rights like the
right to life and right to health. The workshop
resolved that more efforts and resources
should be channeled towards research on the
right to water. The Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission passed the following resolutions
that were recommendations of the ETWG:
(a) That the working group engages
watchdog institutions that monitor water
2
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pollution by industries. In this regard the
group will interrogate the Environmental
Management Agency (EMA) and work
with it to engage “big polluters” that have
red codes. The Thematic Working Group
will identify the challenges faced by
EMA and the big polluters in monitoring
/implementing
the
Environmental
Management Plans;
(b) That the EPR Unit of the ZHRC, puts
emphasis on the “right to safe water” when
conducting the forthcoming meetings
with Human Rights Organisations and
Local Authorities;
(c) That the working group engages the
new Ministry of Rural Development
and Preservation of National Cultural
Heritage about existing plans to improve
infrastructure to enhance the “access to
water” in rural areas in semi-arid regions;
and
(d) That the working group engages
ZIMRIGHTS to provide evidence about
the failure by the local authority to provide
safe drinking water in Mabvuku for a long
period (15 years). Once this information
is gathered it will become the basis
of discussions between the Thematic
Working Group and Harare City Council.
10.5.2. Human Rights Training
Meetings For Mining
Communities
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission
(ZHRC) in collaboration with the Zimbabwe
Environmental Law Association (ZELA) held five
human rights training meetings for Zvishavane
and Shurugwi communities from the 20th
to the 23rd of July 2016.The communities
covered were Mhondongori, Mapirimira,
Mazvihwa, Tongogara and Chachacha. These
full day human rights training meetings had
The Baseline Survey was conducted in May 2015 and is available on the ZHRC website
Protecting, Promoting and Enforcing Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Select target paragraph3
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