Govt sued over Ngomahuru water woes
FORMER Masvingo West legislator Tachiona Chiminya (MDC-T) has taken the government to court over acute water problems at Ngomahuru Mental Hospital that has seen mentally-challenged inmates having to bath in a nearby river for months.
On Monday, Chiminya, through his lawyer Martin Mureri wrote to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) and the Health ministry demanding immediate restoration of water supplies at the hospital or risk legal action.
He argued that the inmates risked drowning or being attacked by crocodiles.
“We are reliably advised that patients at Ngomahuru Hospital have for the past one-and-half-months been bathing in Magwagwadza River, which is about a kilometre away from the mental hospital.
“The patients from the said institution were being taken to the river, both males and females, at the same time for a bath,” Chiminya said.
“We are further advised that residents of the area have been raising concerns with the authorities at the hospital who instead have advised that they have no other option because of the incessant water challenges at the hospital.
“They further advised that Zinwa was not pumping water to the institution and it is putting the blame on ZETDC for not supplying electricity to enable them to pump water to the institution.
“We write to advise you that the situation is untenable and an affront to the dignity of the mentally-challenged who are protected by the Constitution of this country.
“The right to health of the patients and the community was seriously compromised in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and other diseases. More than 200 patients bathing in one source of water that is also used by the community is deplorable and an emergency health situation,” he said.
He added that the patients were now a risk to the community as some may be violent.
“The community is at risk as patients, who are supposed to be confined in an institution, were being released daily into the community without any safety measures being taken. The patients themselves were being put into great risk of drowning or being attacked by crocodiles,” part of the letter of demand read.
“The 24 hours have since lapsed with no corrective action being taken,” the letter added.
Yesterday, Mureri filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court with the Health ministry being the first respondent, while Zinwa and ZETDC were cited as second and third respondents, respectively.
“All the respondents be and are hereby ordered to provide running water to the institution. The water reticulation should be supplied through a normal reticulation system.
“The first respondent is ordered to provide Ngomahuru with uninterrupted supply of safe and clean water to be supplied in bowsers or any other containers to enable patients to access clean and safe water at all material times. The first respondent is ordered to immediately stop the institution from bathing patients in Magwagwadza River or any other river,” the application read.
The case has not been set down for hearing.