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Local government media tracker - 21 October 2013
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
October 21, 2013

Residents at risk as Harare water is condemned
The Standard (Zimbabwe)

Water pumped into homes by the Harare City Council (HCC) is not fit for drinking purposes and could soon cause an outbreak of water-borne diseases; a new independent test commissioned by The Standard Association of Zimbabwe has shown. The laboratory analysis carried out by the SAZ confirmed the presence of harmful coliform bacteria in running water consumed by about four million people in Harare and surrounding areas such as Ruwa, Norton and Chitungwiza. A water sample, which was taken from Mbare high-density suburb, bore an alarming presence of coliform bacteria, even though the pathogen is not supposed to be in any drinking water. Experts said the presence of coliform bacteria is an indicator for pathogens (disease causing organisms) whose source varies from human to animal waste.

The SAZ water analysis indicated that micro-organisms in the water far exceeded the recommended maximum. While the SAZS 560 of 1997 recommends a maximum of 100, the total plate count of the sample had more than 300. In this particular sample however, the presence of human and animal waste was ruled out as there were no traces of E.coli, which is a best indicator of faecal pollution. According to this sample report, there is contamination but most likely from the pipes as the test for Ecoli was negative,” he said.

Government analyst laboratory director, Luke Musiyambiri, said a water sample which fails the microbiology tests meant that contamination could have occurred at the source or along the way from the source to the tap. “The presence of bacteria in a water sample is an indication that either the source was contaminated or it may have happened at any stage of handling it,” he said. Musiyambiri said the corrective action depended on the particular bacteria found in the water.“Measures to be instituted vary according to the type of bacteria found in the water, with some requiring boiling to make it safe for drinking,” he said. Harare City Council spokesperson, Leslie Gwindi did not initially respond to written questions put forward to him. The document came from the water works department headed by Engineer Christopher Zvobgo. Zvobgo himself said through another council spokesperson that Harare water was safe to drink, without necessarily addressing the findings of the tests commissioned by The Standard Association of Zimbabwe.

Government to destroy 10 000 houses
The Daily News

At least 10 000 houses face demolition in the sprawling town of Chitungwiza, as authorities target illegal structures which were constructed in wetlands and on top of sewer mains. Chitungwiza, which is now starved of ventilation gaps as land barons’ parcel out stands for private gain, is faced with acute water shortages traced to overpopulation. The town’s newly-appointed mayor Philip Mutoti said, “they have received a directive from the Local Government ministry to raze at least 10 000 homes. “There is an order that we destroy at least 10 000 houses built illegally,” Mutoti said. “The officials said the ‘mushrooms’ should be rooted out. As a new council, we have engaged the town planner who will give us directions and recommendations.” The operation echoes the 2005 Operation Murambatsvina when authorities demolished illegally-built homes. Hundreds of thousands people were forced out of Harare houses, with police setting fire on some structures. A UN report condemned the two-month campaign that saw about 700 000 people losing their homes or livelihoods in the operation. A UN report said the campaign violated international law; with the UN calling it a “catastrophic injustice” to Zimbabwe’s poorest.

The envisaged clean-up operation could further cripple Chitungwiza since it has to fork out millions of dollars to compensate thousands of victims who fell for the housing scam. Makunde said they have since been directed by the Local Government ministry to regularise 1 647 houses which were sold by Zanu-PF councillor Fredrick Mabamba. Thousands of houses and businesses were built illegally and the previous administration did not do anything to stop it, he said. An investigation report on the Allocation, Change of Use, Subdivision and Repossession of Stands by a team appointed by Chombo last year revealed massive corruption in the sprawling town leading to the dismissal of several councillors. The commission also recommended that houses built on road sites, on top of sewage pipes and those built under electricity cables be demolished.

Harare cuts off water defaulters
The Herald

Harare City Council has started disconnecting water supplies for residents who have not paid anything towards their water and sewer bills after gaining a clean slate when past debts were written off at the end of June. Residents from all the 92 local authorities, who were struggling to service their debts, were given relief when the Government directed all municipalities and councils to write off arrears accumulated since 2009 when the new currency regime came into force. This was after Government realised that the debts had become a burden on citizens who were being weighed down by economic hardships spawned by Western-imposed sanctions. The move saw all domestic ratepayers starting on a clean slate from July after debts accumulated between February 2009 and June this year were written off. Despite starting on a new slate, some residents, especially those in high-density areas, are failing to pay their bills, prompting council to cut water supplies. They argue that council should first work on its billing system as it is the one that saw them accumulating huge bills in the past even when attempts were made to settle them. Council has several charges on its bills: rates, which are constant, sewer fees, which are constant, refuse removal, which are again constant, and water bills, made up of a minimum charge and a metered or estimated reading. Council spokesperson Mr Leslie Gwindi yesterday confirmed that the city had started disconnecting defaulters. "We have been clear on the matter that after the cancellation of the old bills, everyone is on zero and should pay up. The bills are manageable and people should keep up with their payments to enable us to execute our mandate without problems.

City rolls out U.S. $15 million housing project
The Herald

The construction of houses under the US$15 million Harare City Council and CABS joint venture has started, with 200 units expected to be ready for occupation by December this year. The biggest such venture over the past 20 years is part of the operationalisation of the Zanu-PF manifesto which seeks to deliver housing for all. In its winning manifesto, Zanu-PF says 18 percent of Zimbabweans are technically homeless as a result of the deterioration of both physical and social infrastructure that was buffeted by sanctions-induced constraints since the turn of the millennium and pledges to cut the housing backlog that stands at 1, 25 million by among other things, rehabilitating physical and social infrastructure using funding unlocked from indigenisation and empowerment assets through the IDBZ, Agribank and Sedco. Harare City's director of housing and community services Mr Justin Chivavaya said under the project, 3 102 houses will be built under the Budiriro Housing Development Project. "This is the biggest housing project ever to be seen in Harare in the last 20 years. We are in this project together with CABS," said Mr Chivavaya. "We expect low-income earners and first time home owners to get the houses. We are eager to reduce the housing backlog." The phased project will have 3 102 houses on completion and would be sold for between US$17 000 and US$27 000 depending on size and number of rooms. CABS will give a 10-year mortgage to qualifying beneficiaries. The core units have room for extension. The smallest of the units consists of a bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, bath and toilet, while others have two or three bedrooms. The United Nations considers housing as a basic human right. Mr Chivavaya said trunk services like water, sewer and roads are already in place and two sewer pump stations are under construction.

Mayor begs residents to improve Harare
The NewsDay

Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni has implored residents to change their perceptions and play their part in improving service delivery by reducing litter and traffic congestion. Addressing delegates attending a Combined Harare Residents’ Association (CHRA)-organised national residents’ conference on service delivery yesterday, Manyenyeni said there was need for a “mindset change” to address problems affecting most local authorities. “There are things that do not require funding, but mindset change. You don’t need funding not to drop litter and you don’t need the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to cross a red robot,” he said “The bills that were cancelled are a result of a growing mindset of getting things for free which started with free farms, free tractors, free inputs, now no bills to pay.” Manyenyeni promised to be an “accessible councillor and practical mayor” who would work with residents to address challenges facing the capital city. Speaking at the same function, former Harare councillor Warship Dumba, who is the president of the Elected Councillors’ Association of Zimbabwe, said it would be difficult for the mayor and his team to convince residents to pay their bills given the precedent set by Zanu-PF of slashing rates. On the demolition of houses built illegally in Harare, Manyenyeni said: “We are against illegal structures. We don’t want to erode urban planning.

He, however, could not be drawn into commenting on what the city would do to the existing structures though government has already stated its intent to demolish the structures built illegally. CHRA chairman Simbarashe Moyo said there was need for residents and the local authorities to work together for the good of the city. He said residents would mobilise to pay rates if services were provided and appropriately priced. Meanwhile, Harare City Council, the Environmental Management Agency and the Zimbabwe Republic Police yesterday launched a joint anti-litter, anti-crime and anti-open fires campaign that seeks to urge residents to desist from such activities. Officially opening the campaign, Manyenyeni urged companies that sell airtime to introduce a scratch-free airtime top-up card to avoid litter, and those in the business of selling beverages to provide bins.

Zimbabwe government reviews electricity tariffs
The NewsDay

Secretary for Energy and Power Development Partson Mbiriri said the government had started reviewing the current electricity tariffs to make them more reflective of the costs of production. Speaking at the first stakeholder consultative meeting in Harare, Mbiriri said the government had indicated that going forward, tariffs would be based on cost. “More importantly, there is ready acceptance that going forward our tariffs will be based on cost. It is better to have power than not to have it for whatever reasons, our tariff regime is not rewarding enough,” Mbiriri said. National power demand is currently estimated at about 2 200 megawatts (MW) against available generation capacity of around 1 200MW and installed capacity of 1 960MW. “Work is already underway at Hwange and Kariba to regain lost capacity. He said, through the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera), the government had also proposed the development of Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff (REFIT) to produce electricity from renewable producers for a price. Speaking at the same event, Zera chief executive officer Gloria Magombo said the regulatory authority was in the process of developing REFIT, which was basically a policy instrument that makes it mandatory for energy companies or “utilities” responsible for operating the national grid to purchase electricity from renewable energy sources at a pre-determined price that was sufficiently attractive to stimulate new investment in the renewable sector.

Power supply solution overdue
The Daily News

Parliamentarians’ bold decision to summon Energy and Power Development minister, Dzikamai Mavhaire, to explain the erratic power supplies to factories and homes deserves full support from consumers that agonise daily over unpredictable cuts. Frustrations, stress and uncertainty engendered when plant and machinery; computers and other electrical business gadgets go on the blink in an instant is now beyond the scope of tolerance. The implications of erratic power supplies in a modern age of electronic and technological advancement are vast and unimaginable unless the Energy and Power Development ministry steps up to the plate and works out something urgently to address the problem. Zimbabwean consumers fear that unless extraordinary steps are taken, their hopes for economic revival with its cascading benefits of employment and opportunity creation will slide into the darkest dungeons.

Reliable power supplies guarantee the revival of the agricultural sector with its countless downstream benefits to industry and commerce. When Parliament interrogates Energy and Power Development ministry officials MPs should emphasise how the pesky state of unpredictable power supplies impacts negatively on business and the lives of ordinary citizen. It is a national crisis. Fitful power supplies are a slap in the face of those entrepreneurs who have shown resilience, industry and mettle over a decade of very exasperating times who are keen to inject new life into the sector. Ordinary consumers find it frightening to contemplate what the consequences of a much-desired improved business environment would be if productivity levels rise to the preferred threshold in the face of an enduring power deficit. Burning questions that keep popping up in public conversation among consumers is why the power utility is unable to deliver when dollarization has eliminated the need for the central bank to source foreign currency to purchase the commodity? How difficult is it to import electricity from the DRC or Angola to cover the power generation deficit? Or whether the commonality of purpose Sadc espouses proscribe members from trading in the utility? The introduction of pre-paid meters locally has ensured that only those consumers who pay for electricity get the utility; those reluctant to pay stay in the dark. Why then should there be no difference between the two types of consumers when they both have to grope in the dark without discrimination? These are some of a slew of questions consumers would want addressed by the authorities entrusted with power generation and reticulation.

Tighten procurement, councils urged
The Herald

Local authorities have been urged to tighten procurement processes in order to weed out fake contractors to ensure ratepayers get value for their money. Speaking during the annual rural local authorities’ 10th Engineers Conference in Hwange delegates expressed concern over the shoddy work done by some contractors. Addressing the delegates, Matabeleland North provincial administrator Ms Latiso Dlamini, said incompetent contractors were on the prowl and urged local authorities to exercise caution when awarding tenders. “As the local government we are mandated to monitor and supervise the operations of councils but we are concerned about the performance of some contractors. “We have heard of contractors who do not even have equipment or any known financial statement being awarded tenders while some demand payment even before doing the work,” said Ms Dlamini. She said councils should ensure that they got value for their money by engaging competent contractors.

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