Back to Index

Residents exposed to serious health risk in Kuwadzana 4 extension
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
Extracted from The Resident, Issue 42
October 22, 2004

Residents in Kuwadzana 4 Extension are living in fear of their health following the bursting of a sewerage pipe right in the middle of the residential area. Raw sewerage flowed down the streets for two weeks in September before Harare City Council officials finally responded to residents’ calls for the repair of a leaking pipe.

"We have made several reports to Harare City Council without remedy." wrote Ganyani Khosa, a resident in the suburb. Residents going to and from work were forced to jump over liquid waste every day. For them, the potential risk was less severe as compared to that posed on residents who stayed at home, the majority of whom
are women and children.

The hot September afternoons tempt many children to play in the puddles created by the waste, posing serious health risks. Mothers have the arduous task of watching over the children whilst they go about their household chores. As Mr. Khosa adds, "with the sporadic shortages of water once can imagine the exposure to diseases. By showing these pictures to the public we might be able to push the Council for Action"

In a telephone interview with The Resident Thursday, 30 September in the afternoon, Mr. Khosa was relieved to say the pipe had been fixed. "Harare City Council officials finally heeded our call, but we had faced a lot of problems." Residents in Kuwadzana 4 Extension may heave a sigh of relief now in the hopes that the worst is over.

Harare Residents have in the past become increasingly sceptical about the city council’s commitment to ensure health and sanitation in the city. Sewerage reticulation plans going as far back as 1994 have been on the city’s Capital Budget plans but nothing has been done to implement them. The continued influx of people into the city has stretched present resources to the limit, breeding fears that the city’s service delivery is under imminent collapse.

The Resident urges all residents of Harare to petition the Harare City Council’s Town Clerk to action on the matter. Residents should send letters through to Town House demanding urgent action on the city’s service delivery. Copy your correspondence to the press so that we get as much publicity on the issue as possible. Kuwadzana 4 Extension is only a case in point. There are a lot of similar hazards which are dotted around the capital. Please alert us in time for quick monitoring and possible action before the situation gets out of hand.

Visit the CHRA fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP