Incidences of political violence that marred the recently held Zimbabwean local authority by-elections are causing fear and intimidation amongst the community water and environmental rights defenders as they are scared to openly challenge environmental polluters (especially those linked to the political elites) for fear of victimization and violence. Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) environmental... Continue Reading →

(Bulawayo female slum dweller drinks from an unprotected open well which is their only water source) Water poverty continues to haunt Bulawayo slum dwellers residing around the Ngozi Mine waste dumpsite. Due to their illegality, the local authority is not providing the slum dwellers with water services, and they resort to asking from nearby suburbs.... Continue Reading →

Today (29 Sept 2022) MIHR met with the top management of the Bulawayo City Council’s Department of Finance to discuss critical matters relating to billing and water shedding. The meeting was a result of the citizens’ petition that was signed by 1513 residents and delivered to BCC by MIHR on the 20th of September 2022.... Continue Reading →

THE issue of overcrowding and sharing of communal bathrooms and toilets coupled with the worsening water crisis in Bulawayo has been blamed for the city ’s diarrhoea outbreak, which has so far claimed two lives. Statistics from the city health services department show that more than 1 663 cumulative cases have been recorded so far... Continue Reading →

Today (Tuesday 20 September 2022) Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) submitted to the Bulawayo City Council a petition with 1513 signatures asking the local authority to review its water billing system in accordance with the currently prevailing water shedding programme. Currently Bulawayo City Council is facing a water shortage situation which has forced the... Continue Reading →

Conflicts are on the rise in Bulawayo’s shared sanitation communities such as Iminyela and Mabuthweni (in ward 13) as residents struggle to rationalize health and hygiene needs due to the continued water rationing currently happening in Zimbabwe’s second largest City. The City of Bulawayo is currently undergoing an official 72 hours per week water shedding... Continue Reading →

As the race for the Rights In Action Fellowship Champion heats up, Teddy Ngwenya has mobilized youths in his community to cleanup litter in their neighborhood and at the same time educating them about environmental management. The cleanup was also attended by Council officials who also included the local Councilor. Teddy has a vision of... Continue Reading →

Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) has launched a petition on Bulawayo water billing as part of the organization's 2022 World Water Week activities. The 2022 WWW runs under the theme "Seeing the Unseen - the Value of Water" and the organization will be circulating a petition which amplifies citizen voice on the problems of... Continue Reading →

Clare Zhou, a Bulawayo young female who is part of the MIHR Bulawayo Youths 3 months Rights In Action Fellowship has begun organizing safe spaces for young girls to open up and discuss issues around relationship abuse. The space which is proving to be a exciting initiative for youths, allows girls to speakout on the... Continue Reading →

Having gone for over 2 weeks without tape water in her community of Pumula South, young Samantha Kahari braved the fear and lack of experience of engaging her leadership and spoke to her Councilor for the first time in her life, resulting in the Council water bowser coming to the area twice the next day.... Continue Reading →