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The Harare Water Crisis
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe
Extract from Weekly Media Update No. 2002-45
December 2- December 8 2002

During the week, The Daily News (5/12) broke the news that greater Harare had only three days supply of purified water, as Elias Mudzuri's MDC dominated city council had failed to acquire lime and ecol 2000, which are used in the purification of water. The story saw the media take different and confusing positions on the real causes of the crisis.

While the public media perpetuated government's side and viewed the issue as symptomatic of Mayor Mudzuri's ineptitude, the private media was sympathetic to Mudzuri, claiming that the crisis was part of the ZANU-PF government's grand plan to sabotage the MDC led council.

For example, The Daily News quoted an unnamed source as having said the council's "efforts to obtain the chemicals were being deliberately thwarted to sabotage the.council's reputation with the residents in the five urban centres of Harare, Chitungwiza, Epworth, Norton and Ruwa". However, the article did not clearly substantiate this line of argument. It merely stated that council had paid the lime supplier US$140,000 in September but had only been supplied with half the amount paid for. ZTV capitalized on the paper's scoop and used the story to further attack the MDC council.

The station (5/12, 8pm) allocated 12 minutes to the story and blamed Mudzuri for the city's water problems. Citing "available documents", the public broadcaster alleged that the water crisis came "amid allegations of deep- seated corruption (and) misadministration" and accused Mudzuri of being at the centre of controversy for "allegedly concentrating on petty issues including attempts to cover up his misdeeds through vicitmization and advancement of self-interest".

ZTV failed to explain how his 'misdeeds' had caused the water shortages but merely quoted "insiders" as having said "the executive mayor and his councilors were busy trying to frustrate suppliers with a view to taking over their contracts".

There was no detail on who the suppliers were and how council was frustrating them. Rather, the station alleged that Mudzuri had taken "a political line and . reportedly openly defied government directives".

While neither of these claims were explained, Mudzuri, in the same bulletins, was allowed to dismiss these claims saying: "I wish to assure all stakeholders that my council will not be intimidated by such claims as long as we act transparently in dealing with.behaviour of misconduct". His comments however, were immediately swamped with mudslinging. The reporter stated: "While Mudzuri talks so eloquent about himself and the council, he has unresolved matters".

The report then catalogued Mudzuri's alleged unresolved matters citing his dismissal in 1999 for abusing a council vehicle and his reinstatement on the April 4th by the new council with full benefits backdated to August 1999. The public broadcaster did not explain how this could have created the water shortage nor provided its audiences with the circumstances under which he was reinstated, leaving the impression that it was done corruptly.

To further malign Mudzuri, ZTV, in the same bulletin, sought to present the mayor as having been elected into office illegally. It claimed that "many people" (not named) felt Mudzuri "flouted the urban councils Act by standing in the mayoral election race" before resigning from council. As if this was not enough, the public broadcaster sought to mar Mudzuri's achievements further when it reported: "While Mudzuri might have made strides into addressing some of the issues . especially on the resurfacing of roads, and street lighting, many are not aware that he is using financial resources that were generated by the Elijah Chanakira- led commission", threateningly adding, "only time will determine Mudzuri's stay at town house".

However, ZTV's (6/12, 8pm) hypocrisy was exposed when the same reporter who dismissed the council's explanation that the water problems were caused by foreign currency shortages turned around and confirmed the problem. He reported that the water purification problem "has been worsened by the city's failure to acquire foreign currency from the central bank despite the fact that normal channels were followed". ZBC (8/12, 8pm) quoted local government minister Ignatius Chombo as having "accused the Harare City Council of playing political games to cover up for its failure to provide clean water" adding that "government has given the council US$500 000 to buy chemicals".

No attempt was made to corroborate Chombo's claims with relevant council authorities.

But contrary to ZBC's allegations, The Zimbabwe Independent (6/12), Zanu PF firms hold Harare hostage, reported that ZANU PF-linked companies, which were awarded contracts by previous ZANU PF council authorities, were in control of "all strategic services which support the day-to-day running of the city" and had "established a choke-hold on the local authority". The article named the companies involved and highlighted how they were linked to ZANU PF. Unnamed sources were quoted echoing sentiments raised in The Daily News saying: "Contracted companies could be holding the council to ransom and deliberately sabotaging the new council". The paper's investigations were later used in The Daily News (7/12) article, Mudzuri faces axe. The article quoted Mudzuri concurring with private media reports that there were plans to oust him. The Weekend Tribune (7/12) carried a similar story.

The Daily News and The Zimbabwe Independent (6/12) broadened the issue and observed, in their comments, that the water crisis in Harare was an example of ZANU PF government's determination to frustrate MDC led councils.

For example, The Daily News comment highlighted cases of intimidation, legal impediments and even physical assaults that MDC mayors were enduring in Bulawayo, Masvingo, Chegutu, Chitungwiza, and Harare. Reportedly, the overall aim was to force the mayors to leave office. It concluded: "The fear is that if MDC-run councils do well and score more successes than Zanu PF councils were ever able to achieve, the electorate could be persuaded to give them a chance to govern the country on the basis of their record at local government level".

The Zimbabwe Independent noted that government was "using powers at its disposal to thwart the democratic will of the people" and cited the recent attack on the mayor of Chegutu by alleged ZANU PF members as an example. It observed that the Chegutu incident was a clear sign the ruling party pays "only lip-service to issues of democracy and pluralism".

Earlier, The Daily News (4/12) reported MDC shadow minister for local government, Gabriel Chaibva, as saying ZANU PF was plotting to kill the Chegutu mayor, Francis Dhlakama. However, ZANU PF official Philip Chiyangwa denied the claims.

Despite these observations, the public media was relentless in its campaign to tarnish Harare City Council's image. For instance, The Herald (7/12) reported that residents blamed Harare's water crisis on "poor planning and corruption in the awarding of tenders" by the council. The paper did not substantiate these claims.

Not to be outdone, The Sunday Mail (8/12) projected Mudzuri as corrupt and abusing his powers to influence decision making within the council. The paper, just like ZTV, reported that Mudzuri influenced the city's Special Council to withdraw his 1999 case, which was to be heard in the Supreme Court in May 2002.

Besides giving details of the transactions surrounding the back-payment of Mudzuri, there was not a shred of evidence to prove that the mayor used his executive powers to influence the council.

Instead, the article went on to malign Mudzuri, accusing him of "refusing to take orders from the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Ignatius Chombo, flouting tender rules and victimizing council workers perceived to have connections with the Chanakira Commission".

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