The cholera crisis in Harare is now out of control. People are getting sick every day. As of November 26th, the number of suspected cholera cases had reached 1,744. That is a big jump from just a week before when there were 1,259 cases. The Ministry of Health gave these numbers at a post-cabinet briefing. Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, is the worst affected. This is a health emergency. But it is also more than that—it is a sign of a failed government system that has ignored public needs for far too long.
Harare alone has recorded 705 cases. That is nearly half of all the suspected cases in the country. Chitungwiza, another hotspot, had 163 cases during one week in November. These numbers show how serious the situation is. But the real danger lies in what is causing these numbers to rise so quickly: dirty water, broken sewer systems, and years of neglect.
In many places like Kuwadzana 1 and 4 and parts of Chitungwiza, sewer pipes are broken. They burst and spill waste onto the streets. These bursts are not fixed for weeks. People live near pools of sewage. This is where cholera spreads. The Harare Residents Trust (HRT) said council workers are asking for money to fix the sewers—about US$5 from each household. This is shocking. People are already poor and sick. Now they are being charged extra to fix basic services that should be free.
Because pipes are broken, clean water leaks out. The city says it loses 60% of its treated water because of these leaks. Dirty sewer water then gets into the drinking water pipes underground. This makes things worse. People are drinking dirty water without knowing it. And so, cholera spreads.
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) also spoke out. It said water shortages are a big reason why cholera is back. People in Harare and other towns have gone weeks, sometimes months, without clean water. Some areas have had no water for years. People use unsafe water from open sources. This is very risky.
Itai Rusike, head of CWGH, said the real problem started back in 2008 and 2009 when Zimbabwe had another deadly cholera outbreak. At that time, thousands died. But since then, the government has not fixed the health system. Water supplies are still poor. Sanitation is still broken. The same problems have returned because nothing has changed.
He said the health system is now collapsing. Hospitals have no equipment. Clinics have no staff. There is no clean water or good sewerage. He called on the Ministry of Health and Child Care to act quickly. He said emergency help is needed, but long-term changes are also needed. Zimbabwe must rebuild its health system from the ground up.
What is happening in Harare is not just a health crisis. It is a sign that the government has failed to take care of the people. Years of corruption, poor planning, and ignoring public needs have brought the country to this point. People are getting sick because of bad leadership, not just because of a bacteria in the water.
The cholera crisis shows that when leaders fail, people suffer. It shows that Zimbabwe needs change—real, urgent change. Clean water is a basic human right. Safe sanitation is not a luxury. And public health is not something to ignore until people start dying.
The people of Harare deserve better. They deserve clean water, working sewers, working clinics, and a government that listens. This crisis must be the final wake-up call for those in power. Because if nothing is done now, more people will die. And the next crisis will be even worse.
Zimbabwe is not just facing cholera. It is facing a deep failure of leadership. And that is the real disease.