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CHRA petitions the Minister of Finance on the Harare water issue
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
October 19, 2012
Honorable Tendai
Biti
Minister
of Finance
Republic
of Zimbabwe
New Government
Complex
Corner
Fourth and Samora Machel
Harare
RE:
REQUEST FOR BUDGETARY ALLOCATION FOR HARARE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
AND DELIVERY SERVICE
The above subject
matter refers;
We, on behalf of Harare residents, would like to bring your attention
to the critical water situation in Harare and the need for continued
budgetary support to avert needless loss of lives. Honorable Minister,
it is our humble objective, to draw you to the ominous water situation
which has been perpetuated by the deteriorating infrastructure which
was initially meant to cater for 300 000 people but is now servicing
more than 2 million people. Most of Harare's suburbs do not
have consistent water supply and this is due to the financial incapacitation
of the City of Harare in terms of meeting all of its service obligations
which include water delivery. We contend that while the City has
an obligation to deliver its services, there is no doubt that this
problem has become a national disaster which needs your urgent attention.
Honorable Minister,
we would like to inform you that the City currently loses around
350 mega liters of treated water each day due to burst water pipes
and illegal connections. The total production capacity is approximately
620m mega litres per day against a requirement of an estimated 1200-400
mega liter per day. The COH estimates that there are over 75 illegal
connections. In its 2012 -2015 Strategic Plan presentation, the
City targets a 7 percent reduction of water loss through leakages.
Currently, the City does not have the technology to monitor water
losses and water bursts, which recently have caused
typhoid outbreaks in Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa with a total
of 3 500 recorded cases of typhoid between November 2011 and February
2012. This awakes sad memories of 2008 where we lost 4 037 people
to the Cholera pandemic and a total 91 164 cases being reported.
It is against this background that we plead for your intervention
which in our view will curb the loss of innocent lives as we approach
the rainy season.
We note with
great appreciation that you have already disbursed USD 17.1 million
already for the rehabilitation of Morton Jeffery water treatment,
Firle treatment plant and Crowborough treatment plant as well, however
we now kindly request you to consider a further targeted infrastructure
support for the City of Harare Water systems. Harare City Council
is now in need of more than 200 million in order to deal with the
ever growing water crisis that is being attributed to the deteriorating
water infrastructure. Suburbs which are situated in the upper side
of Harare that is; Greendale, Highlands, Mabvuku-Tafara and Msasa
Park to name a few are most affected. Lately western suburbs have
been hard hit due to the continuous bursting of pipes coming from
the main plant. The water situation in Harare continues to claim
innocent lives and hampers growth of the tourism and manufacturing
industry. In view of water being a basic human right protected in
the African Charter
for Human and People Rights, the Universal
declaration for Human Rights of which Zimbabwe is a signatory,
we contend that there is a compelling case for your urgent intervention
in this sector.
We stand confidant
by your able leadership and the role you play in your respective
ministry that our concerns will be addressed.
Yours in defense
of Human Rights
Simbarashe Moyo
Chairman
Combined
Harare Residents Association
Visit the CHRA
fact sheet
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