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City of Harare orders immediate water reconnection for Dzivarasekwa
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
February 13, 2012

The Harare City Council, Town Clerk Dr. Tendai Mahachi has ordered the reconnection of water supplies to more than 300 households that had been disconnected for more than 7 months by 12 noon today. This was revealed at a special meeting between City of Harare and a CHRA delegation led by Mr. S. Zata (Ward 40 Coordinator) together with CHRA Program officer Reuben Akili today at Town house. Dr. Mahachi and the Deputy Mayor Councilor Emanuel Chiroto represented the Council. The CHRA delegation presented oral evidence on the closure of water supply to more than 300 households a situation which has exacerbated the typhoid outbreak in Dzivarasekwa. CHRA also presented evidence to Council that at least 20 houses do not have toilets and other proper sanitary facilities like taps which arrangement has prompted them to share toilets and taps with their neighbours. To that effect, Harare City Council Town clerk, Dr. Mahachi has also ordered the City Treasurer and Harare water to URGENTLY RECONNECT water supply to all the affected households before mid-day today. On the issue of sanitary facilities, C.o.H has requested CHRA to petition the department of housing and copy the Town clerk on the request for the urgent construction of toilets in Dzivarasekwa 3 for the affected households. These houses were constructed in 1972 and it is shocking that to this date, 40 years later, they still do not have a toilet and a tap.

CHRA has for the past two weeks called for the urgent re-connection of water supplies to all disconnected households. With the ongoing typhoid outbreak, it is only unhygienic conditions such as the ones witnessed in Dzivarasekwa that exacerbate spread of the disease. To date, at least one thousand five hundred cases have been reported and these figures are expected to continue rising. In Mbare, there has be a very few confirmed Cholera cases to date which have not yet been reported but identified by our ward based health clusters. We will continue to identify areas that have had their tap water closed for re-connection as we continue to fight the issue of communicable diseases in Harare.

CHRA would like to commend the Deputy Mayor and the Town Clerk for this positive development and urge that in future timely responses may help avert loss of life.

For those Harare residents receiving our mails who have had their tap water disconnected or know of such areas, please feel free to write or phone us on 0774 506 589 or 0734 193 563. We also encourage residents with such similar complains to call the Town Clerk on his direct number: 04 753333.

Visit the CHRA fact sheet

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