Back to Index

Water barometer - Issue 2
Harare Residents' Trust (HRT)
September 10, 2012

Comment: Ring fence Water Account in Proposed 2013 Harare City Council Budget

The HRT has received several reports from residents reiterating the need for the City of Harare to seriously consider having the water accounts only used for the improvement and upgrading of the water distribution infrastructure. These sentiments were particularly loud and clear in Mabvuku Chizhanje, Budiriro 3, Glen Norah B, Kuwadzana Phase 3, Glen Lorne, Borrowdale, and Dzivaresekwa among other suburbs. The ring fencing of the water account will result in all the revenue collected as a result of rendering water services to the residents be chanelled directly to the water services. This will mean that money collected from water services will not be used for anything else except water provision. This development will go a long way in improving water services infrastructure in Harare. In addition this model will also improve accountability as all resources chanelled towards water services would be prudently used by Harare Water Department to provide water to the citizenry. The HRT urges Central Government, through the Ministry of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development to ensure that urban local authorities ring fence the water account. This would ensure that residents get value for their money, and transparency would be enhanced. Since February 2009, the Harare City Council has been fleecing residents of their money for services which the City fathers rarely provide and the bills were based on estimates and not actual consumption. Key arguments being proffered by the majority of residents is that before dollarization in 2009, they paid for water and after dollarization, they still paid for fixed water and water consumption but the City of Harare has dismally failed to account for the money generated. This money could have been used to upgrade the water infrastructure. Unfortunately, reports from various well-placed council officials indicate that most of the money generated from water consumption and charges is being diverted towards payment of salaries and administration expenses, meaning residents have not derived much benefit from payment of their water dues to the local authority. Even senior council officials are frustrated by identified heads of departments who are vehemently opposed to the ring-fencing of the water account. Water is apparently council's cash-cow, allowing them to rampantly abuse resources without investing in the water infrastructure and water provision.

Sad memories still conjure in residents minds where nearly 4 000 residents died during the cholera epidemic in 2008 while nearly 100 000 others were affected due to poor water management systems in Harare, and other local authorities. The city fathers have no concrete plans in place or at least the political commitment to address the plight of the citizens in the provision of clean water in all suburbs of Harare. The HRT encourages all residents in Harare to participate in the 2013 pre-budget consultation meetings that are scheduled began on Saturday 8 September 2012 and set their priorities, to be addressed in the 2013 City Budget. It is imperative for the residents to participate in this process and demand accountability from the City of Harare rather than be short-changed, and still fail to express their views. The HRT demands that the City of Harare puts into motion a process of ensuring the water account is protected from being abused, but that revenue generated is directed towards expanding, maintaining and upgrading of the water infrastructure and distribution network in the once" Sunshine City of Zimbabwe."

Below are key highlights of water provision in various suburbs of Harare, excluding western suburbs:

1. Waterfalls: In the Cheviot area water normally comes during the evening and residents fetch water from this time until 4 am.

2. Park town: There is no water along 6th and 4th street and residents are fetching water from Milford Road since there is no borehole or any other water source at Park Town Shopping Centre.

3. Uplands, Derbyshire and Shortson: Residents only receive water three days a week and water outages are experienced on Fridays and the water is reconnected on Tuesdays. The borehole at Derbyshire is dysfunctional.

4. Hilton Park, Picnic Park: In this area the residents receive water three days a week.

5. Mbare National: Tap water is running normally but the water is dirty. Residents experience uninterrupted water supplies most of the time.

6. Sunningdale 1 and 2: There are no water problems unless there is a burst water pipe. The people fetch water from the district office where there is a burst water pipe

7. Borrowdale: Residents in this area are advocating for a common borehole to save them huge amounts of money they use to buy water from private suppliers. Council has not provided residents with their plans to address the aged water infrastructure in this area.

8. Hatcliffe: In this area there are a total of 20 boreholes in this area and two boreholes needed to be repaired while two other boreholes are seasonal boreholes which rely on the level of the water table.

9. Mount Pleasant and Avondale: Water supplies have been erratic and this area receives water occasionally.
10. Greendale, Mandara, Highlands and Chisipite: Water supplies are very erratic. This is now the eighth week without water supplies for these suburbs. The situation is the same as the last two weeks where water supply is still very low.

11. Harare East, Kugarika Kushinga and Tafara: There is no water at all in Kugarika Kushinga, Old Tafara and some areas of New Mabvuku which include Hunyani Street, Chitsere, Honde and all the areas that are found on higher ground. However, low lying areas such as Chizhanje and some parts of Tafara and New Mabvuku had low pressure water for four days.

12. Highlands: The situation has not changed from the previous state residents are being assisted by well wishers as Net One had drilled a borehole at Runnville shops in Highlands. Some residents are getting water from their neighbours as well.

13. Chisipite: Residents in this community are relying on well-wishers who are willing to share your boreholes.

Visit the Harare Residents' Trust 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