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Residents raise outcry over water disconnections
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
March 03, 2010

Residents in Warren Park, Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa have complained about the City of Harare's water disconnection spree saying that their exercise is perpetuating the water shortages that residents have been experiencing. The City of Harare has been disconnecting water supplies to residents with outstanding bills despite Minister Sipepa Nkomo's directive that water should not be disconnected for whatever reason. Some of the residents who have had their water disconnected are either relying on their neighbours or resorting to unprotected water sources.

Residents in Mabvuku-Tafara, who have been receiving water bills in spite of the fact that the service was not being rendered, have also voiced their fears on water disconnections as the Council has already served them with final warnings to pay the outstanding bills. Residents have pointed out that it is not fair for the City of Harare to charge them for the water that they never consumed. Most of the bills are within the range of $100 - 250.

Water Supply

There was a general improvement on water supplies within the past week especially in suburbs like Msasa Park, Hatfield, Cranborne, Greendale, Msasa and Mabvuku-Tafara. CHRA, has, however, received reports from residents complaining that not much is being done to improve the water quality. Residents from Glen Norah, Mbare, Dzivarasekwa, Budiriro, Greendale and Letombo Park have raised concern over the water they are receiving saying that the water has black particles that can be seen with the naked eye and it becomes frothy when boiled.

Glen View area 8 has been receiving consistent water supplies for the past two weeks and residents have said the water quality has improved but they are still hesitant to drink the water without boiling.

Electricity

Msasa Park - Power cuts occurred on a daily basis from 5am in the morning to 10pm at night within the past week. The Bill statements for this area are ranging from $400 to $700. Residents in this area are using generators and firewood as an alternative.

Milton Park - This area experiences power cuts 4 times a week for at least three hours, the power cuts are usually in the morning from 6am to 10am.

Glen View - In Glen View area 8 power cuts occur on a daily basis and in some cases, twice in a single day from 6am to 12am and from 4pm to 10 pm. Meter readings are rarely conducted and ZEDC is using estimates to bill residents. Most of the bills are amounting to $150. In Glen View 1 and 3 power cuts occur on a daily basis and bills are within the range of $100 to $300 per month. Residents feel that they are being overcharged because most of the time they do not have electricity.

Glen Norah - Residents in areas like Spaceman and Chitubu receive electricity for less than six hours per day due to load shedding. Residents have also said that load shedding is compromising the health delivery system as some of the clinics are finding it difficult to fully operate without electricity. Examples are Rutsanana clinic in Glen Norah C, and Rigava surgery in Spaceman. Glen Norah B and C experience power cuts for 5 days in a single week. The Masimbi area in Glen Norah C experiences power cuts twice a day from 5am to 12am and from 5pm to 8.

Mabvuku -Tafara - In New Mabvuku residents in Nyangome, Makwrio, Mwenezi, Tugwe and Shamba have gone for 8 months without electricity. The transformer supplying this area blew up on the 4th of July last year and up to now the transformer has not been replaced. Residents in this area were told by ZESA officials to make $2 contributions per household towards the construction of a transformer house, but nothing was done. Residents of this area are receiving electricity bills amounting to $150 though the service is non-existent. The Chizhanje area in Old Mabvuku experiences power cuts on a daily basis. The Ramba and Mhakure streets of Hurudza area have not received electricity since 5 February 2009 due to a faulty transformer.

Warren Park - Residents residing in Westlea have been experiencing power cuts on a daily basis for the whole of February. The power cuts are systematic and they occur on Monday mornings, Tuesday nights and Wednesdays. Warren Park 1 and 2 have power cuts three times a week and they just occur at random.

CHRA urges ZEDC to stick to the load shedding schedule that was circulated to residents as a lot of electric appliances are being lost due to short circuits caused by haphazard load shedding.

Visit the CHRA fact sheet

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