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HRT calls for immediate reform in Harare Water
Harare Residents' Trust (HRT)
November 28, 2011

Constant conflict and disagreements within the City of Harare's Harare Water Department has crippled its capacity to deliver quality and affordable services to the residents. Harare communities continue to suffer as the stalemate continues. Immediate reform is required to ensure that the Department gets back on its feet and meet the needs of the communities. This statement has been made possible through the HRT in the public interest.

The current Harare Water employees were transferred back from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) in February 2009 to the City of Harare, and were placed under Harare Water. Approximately 2 000 workers were transferred who include permanent and contract workers. Workers were transferred with their conditions of service and were assured that the City of Harare will give them their salaries and allowances. These included allowances for housing, water and education. These were key agreements under an agreement signed between the National Employment Council (NEC), City of Harare and the representatives of the workforce.

Ever since this transfer, there has been no implementation of the key agreements made. Employees have been given several false promises that senior council management who include the Town Clerk and the Human Resources Director were looking into the case. Workers have also had the long serving awards withdrawn for unclear reasons. Upon transfer, Harare Water employees noted that workers from all the other council departments were receiving monthly electricity, education, housing and transport allowances. In addition to this, they were receiving a 13th check- a bonus. This has continued until today where workers are still disgruntled because of the treatment by City of Harare.

Research by the HRT revealed that there is serious confusion among employees on where exactly they belong or who their real employer is. Such controversy is attributed to the fact that basic salaries and allowances differ remarkably with those of employees under other council departments such as the Waste Management. A grade 16 (lowest grade) employee from Harare Water gets $166.00 per month whilst the same grade in another council department gets $179.00 per month. Workers feel that they should be treated the same or even better given the nature and importance of their work to the City.

Harare Water employees are usually the last batch of workers who receive their salary slips from the City Treasury's department. Workers are questioning why the department is housed at Old Mutual Building while other departments are housed in council buildings such as Remembrance which house the Housing and Community Services Department, Carter House in Mbare occupied by known ZANU-PF youths, Trafalgar Court where the Municipal Police is based, Rowan Martin where the City Treasury is housed and Cleveland House which accommodates the Waste Management and Engineering departments. Old Mutual is very expensive with each office reportedly going for at least US$1 500 per month, translating to around US$30 000 in rentals every month. There are a total of 20 offices at Old Mutual. The financial burden is on Harare Water account and is shouldered by the ratepayers.

There is a serious lack of transparency and accountability in the recruitment of employees in Harare Water. Some employees are performing tasks they were not trained to perform. Countless, fruitless debates between senior council management and Harare Water representatives on the way forward concerning the salaries, allowances and general welfare of the workforce has drained the rate payers' account and demotivated the workforce.

A frustrated and demotivated workforce has been the product of these fruitless debates and with this Harare Water cannot perform according to expected standards.

There have been several workshops held with the Town Clerk, Chamber Secretary, Human Resources Director, councilors, from the Human Resources Department, representatives from Harare Municipal Workers Union (HMWU), Water Authority Workers Union of Zimbabwe (WAWUZ). To date three workshops to try and address the situation have been held at luxurious venues in Nyanga, Kadoma, Hwange and Victoria Falls. It is a culture that participants get hefty sitting, fuel and attendance allowances while the condition of the employee is not improved. Senior management sees it logical to debate such critical issues in hotels and avoiding direct engagement with employees, who are the pillars of Harare Water.

There are unconfirmed allegations that the Harare Water account is abused by senior council management officials who withdraw money for entertainment allowances ranging from $1 000.00 upwards each week. Harare Water employees are the least paid workers in the council but surprisingly the most crucial for the functioning of the city. This is disturbing as Harare Water employees are involved in the most health risky work in council- sewerage and water treatment. There are fears that workers may be sabotaging council in water treatment. The recent outbreak of typhoid, water borne disease in Dzivarasekwa clearly shows that water is not being properly treated. There is a danger that the City of Harare will not meet the water demand situation in Harare.

Attempts by disgruntled workers from different departments to demonstrate peacefully on 12 and 13 October 2011 at Town House were fruitless as the Town Clerk and the Human Resources Director refused to address the workers. To make the situation worse the City Management called riot police to disperse the workers from the flag room where they were addressing each other on the situation and acting the roles of Mayor, Town Clerk, Chamber Secretary and Human Resources Director. Riot police have no business interfering with the affairs of workers' union. Their involvement highlighted the inefficiency of Zimbabwe's democracy credentials.

It is critical for the City of Harare to address the situation in the department by urgently reviewing the allowances of the workers, and reviewing the systems in place to deal with water treatment and distribution. The HRT demands that Harare Water relocates from the luxurious Old Mutual Building and occupy one of the council buildings to cut on unnecessary expenditure. The welfare of the employees should be improved to reduce their vulnerability to community diseases. Senior council management should immediately stop the abuse of authority characterized by looting of financial resources from the rates accounts for selfish interests and concentrate on upgrading the water infrastructure in order to ease the current water shortages which have caused turmoil in Harare.

Visit the Harare Residents' Trust fact sheet

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