Resident Sues Harare Over Prepaid Water Meters

A Harare resident filed an urgent High Court application to stop the rollout of prepaid water meters in the capital. Bernadette Makaya, represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, argues the system violates existing water laws. The lawsuit targets the City of Harare and a private water company, Helcraw. Makaya claims prepaid meters deny residents access to water as a basic human right. The court will determine whether the meters contravene the Urban Councils Act and Harare Water By-Laws. The core vulnerability is the potential for prepaid systems to exclude vulnerable households from essential services.