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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Health Crisis - Focus on Cholera and Anthrax - Index of articles
Harare
Council tour makes shocking discoveries
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
March 27, 2009
It has come to the attention of CHRA that the tour
of the water infrastructure that was recently done by the Harare
City Council has made some shocking revelations of the gross incompetence
of ZINWA amidst the continued delay and confusion in the hand-over
of the management of water and sewer reticulation services from
ZINWA to the City of Harare.
One
of the Councilors who were part of the delegation on tour (name
withheld) revealed to CHRA that Council discovered that the Firle
Water Works has not been operational since 2005 when ZINWA took
over the management of the water services in Harare. As a result,
ZINWA was actually depositing raw sewer into Manyame River and Lake
Chivero; a situation that has rendered the Harare water to be heavily
polluted. The Councilor said that this could be the major reason
why ZINWA was finding it difficult to provide clean water to residents
as treating the heavily polluted water was proving to be quite expensive.
A total of eight different chemicals are needed to purify the Harare
water while other cities like Mutare need only one chemical for
water treatment. This means the whole city had to rely on the Morton
Jeffrey Water Works in Norton which was often affected by power
cuts and the obsolete equipment at the Treatment Plant; a situation
that led to the acute water shortages in Harare and the subsequent
cholera outbreak in August 2008. Councilors have pointed out that
both Firle and Morton Jeffrey are in need of a massive capital injection
for them to operate normally.
Furthermore,
a water pump that has been reportedly lying idle for thirty years
was discovered by the City of Harare at Prince Edward water works
while residents endured persistent water cuts that exposed them
to cholera. This revelation is evidence to the negligence that was
exercised by the authorities in charge of water and sewer management.
ZINWA continuously blamed the Harare water woes on the obsolete
equipment that the water utility reportedly inherited from the City
of Harare and yet a sound water pump was lying idle without the
knowledge of ZINWA. It is also clear that ZINWA did not conduct
a thorough audit of the water infrastructure when it took over the
management of water and sewer reticulation services from the City
of Harare. The discoveries that have been made by the Council are
clear evidence of ZINWA's incapacity that has plunged Harare
into the worst cholera outbreak ever.
This is the
reason why residents are keen to have the City of Harare regain
complete control of the water affairs of Harare so that the confusion
that surrounds the hand-over of the management of water services
can come to an end. A Council official who requested anonymity for
fear of victimization said that the truth on the ground is that
no progress has been made in the hand-over process. The Council
has not yet convened to discuss the issue of the hand-over. The
source pointed out that the reports that have come out in the media
where City of Harare officials have said that they will bill water
using the ZINWA rates is just a matter of public relations because
ZINWA seems to be still in control. He however confirmed that the
ZINWA management is actually reporting to the Harare Town clerk.
These reports
are worrying especially considering the fact that the water situation
in Harare needs to be improved urgently so as to avoid loss of more
lives to the cholera pandemic. The confusion that is between ZINWA
and the City of Harare is the last thing that residents need at
this point in time. CHRA urges the new government to look into this
matter and ensure that the management of water and sewer reticulation
services is not politicized by people who are just interested in
extorting money from residents. The City of Harare should regain
total control of the water and sewer reticulation services in Harare
and proper water management systems must be set up so that constant
supplies of clean water to residents can be resumed.
CHRA will continue
to advocate for good, transparent and accountable local governance
as well as the delivery of quality and affordable municipal services.
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
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