Water shortages force Zimbabwe parliament closure
Zimbabwe crisis forces parliament closure
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Friday, 14, Nov 2008 10:31
Zimbabwe has been forced to suspend the sitting of its parliament and close its high court because of chronic shortage of funds and water.
The development is an embarrassing sign of the state of collapse and dire situation in the southern African country.
It adds to a numberless list of many state institutions like hospitals and universities that have been forced to shut down because of lack of water, doctors, medicines and lectures among other economic ills facing the country.
Zimbabwe is facing one of the worst water crises in living memory, sparking an outbreak of cholera that has so far killed over 40 people.
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Lovemore Moyo said the country's parliament had been forced to adjourn after running out of both water and financial resources to sustain its operations.
"The House is adjourned to December 16th," said Moyo. "There is no money to pay for the accommodation and allowances of legislators. There is also no water at the parliament building."
Across town, the country's high court was also forced to shut down after taps ran dry and because of financial squeeze to purchase stationery and to pay staff members.
Clerks from various law firms who sought to file court papers were turned away by authorities who advised them of the critical water situation in the building.
Human rights lawyers have quickly slammed the closure of the high court.
"That such a vehicle for protecting human rights should be closed due to lack of water is a serious undermining of equal protection of the law to litigants, detainees, and even convicted prisoners whose matters are on appeal from lower courts."
"Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights' (ZLHR) calls upon the ministry of justice and relevant authorities to ensure that the high court of Zimbabwe and indeed all courts in Zimbabwe are given all the necessary tools and essentials to enable them to function properly, timeously and effectively in exercising their judicial authority," the ZLHR said in a statement.
The water crisis is one of the many signs of the state of collapse in the southern African country, once the model of Africa at the height of independence in 1980.
Zimbabweans battle shortages of water, cash, electricity, food, among other basics all blamed on the ill-advised ruinous economic policies of president Robert Mugabe.
Mr Mugabe denies charges of running down the country's economy and instead blames illegal sanctions by the west.