As voters flocked to the polls for the December 9 by-elections, a quiet but severe crisis simmered beneath the democratic process: a lack of water in polling stations. According to civic observers from the Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR), 51% of polling stations in Bulawayo lacked running water, leaving officials and voters without hydration for hours in sweltering heat.
Late delivery of alternative water containers and questions about water safety sparked concern. Some officials reportedly had to buy their own drinking water or use unhygienic containers for toilet use.
MIHR has called on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to prioritize potable water provision in all future elections and to make water planning part of electoral budgeting.