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Water supply disconnections in Tafara and Mabvuku
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
November 17, 2010

Harare City Council has started disconnecting water supplies for non-payment of water and refuse bills in Tafara and Mabvuku.

Most of the bills that the residents owe range from US$1000 to US$2000. These bills have accumulated over the past years, including the charges made during the time when the local authority was not supplying water or collecting refuse in the area.

The move taken up by the city council will increase the risks of a health hazard in the area. Barely a year ago, during the same time of the year, many people were affected by the cholera epidemic, which saw at least 14 people from Tafara dying from the disease. This was a result of the shortage of fresh water supply in the area. Residents then resorted to digging up shallow boreholes that supplied them with water, most of which were dug near pit latrines. As most of these temporary wells were open and not deep enough, dirty flowing water could easily flow in and contaminate the water in the well.

ZimRights requests the city council not to disconnect water supplies. Disconnecting water will only result in a dire situation, whereby lives are lost and more money will be needed for medication from the already strained budget the country is running on. We also demand the inclusion of socio-economic rights in the upcoming constitution, so that it becomes government's mandate to ensure clean water supply to everyone and hygienic living conditions. City council rates are out of the reach of many. The majority of the residents in Mabvuku and Tafara are pensioners who can hardly afford a day's meal and these are the very same people who are expected to pay bills in excess of $500.

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