Access to Water in Rural Zimbabwe: the Realities of the Adoption of the Human Right to Water in Mtelo Village, Zhombe

Abstract

Water scarcity is a global challenge and access to water was recognised as a human right. Zimbabwe is among many countries that have adopted the human right to water by recognising the provision in the constitution and establishing national policies to ensure people enjoy their right to water. However, the operationalisation of these frameworks within national and local contexts remains a challenge. This paper gives reference to the provisions of the National Water Act 1998, Section 77 of the Constitution and the Zimbabwe National Water policy to assess the extent to which the government has domesticated the human right to access to water. Based on a case study of Mtelo village in Ward 9 in Zhombe Communal Area in the Kwekwe District, the study uses qualitative research methods such as the review of secondary literature, interviews and field observations to establish the extent to which the implementation of national frameworks has enabled access to water in Mtelo village.