The
water and sanitation crisis in Zimbabwe is mainly affecting the urban poor
residing in informal settlements .Nonetheless there are several laws and
instruments governing the provision of water and sanitation in Zimbabwe. These
laws include the constitution (2013) which views water as a basic human right
for every citizen in Zimbabwe. On the other hand the water policy of 2012 was a
policy to re-establish the confidence of consumers
and water users through the restoration of affordable service and to clarify
institutional functions, responsibilities and accountability of water provision
institutions.

Nhapi
(2012) argues that the water and sanitation services in Zimbabwe’s informal
settlements are generally insufficient or absent. World Bank Report (2016) adds
on that a major challenge facing these informal settlements is the lack of
access to adequate sanitation in comparison to formal settlements which are
serviced by local authorities. A study carried out by Mukonoweshuro
(,2014) concluded that is made that the structural set up of local authorities
is adequate to give effect to a policy that supports provision of sanitation
services to inhabitants of informal settlements. However, the study identified
that political power agendas between central and local government resulted in
sanitation barriers for informal settlements.

The
previous studies have presented a gap in literature in terms of the nature of
these self-help facilities in terms of legality, safety, reliability and functionality.
This study will then examine the nature of these self-help facilities and the
challenges that they pose to different stakeholders. The findings of this study
has the potential to benefit the communities in informal settlements who lack
water and sanitation and want to embark on sustainable self-supply as the study
will clearly assess the challenges and opportunities of this approach to
service provision. The outcome of this research has the potential to benefit
the policy makers in terms of provision of sustainable basic sanitation and
water supply in informal settlements in accordance with the water policy of (2012).

The
study will also be helpful to researchers who are interested in the subject of
water and sanitation in informal settlements. The findings will also add to the body of knowledge and
could be a source of future reference by other scholars who might need to dwell
on similar or related issues. It will serve as future reference for
further study. Furthermore the study will help in bridging the gap between
theory and practice as it will test the relevant theories and their relevance
to the study. It is envisioned
that the research findings and recommendations will also provide planning
benchmarks for provision of infrastructure in informal settlements.