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Water woes hit Mbare
Enita Chirewo, Community Radio Harare (CORAH)
February 08, 2013

Water problems have continued to worsen in Mbare amid fears of water-borne diseases outbreak if the situation is not addressed.

When Talking Harare visited the sprawling suburb this week, Mbare presented a sorry state as residents could be seen trying to draw water from disused fire hydrants and other underground pipes. Others could be seen ferrying buckets of water obtained from the nearby sewage-infested Mukuvisi River.

Residents told this publication that the situation has reached alarming levels with others being forced to buy water from unscrupulous dealers.

"The situation is so desperate as we have now gone for a week without water. We resorted to fetching water from some boreholes in Graniteside but these are overcrowded and now some people are now getting water from Mukuvisi," said Onesemo Gwapedza from Matererini Flats.

Chenai Makhaya said some residents were illegally fetching water from dilapidated fire hydrants and underground pipes. "Some of us are drawing water from underground pipes vandalised by desperate residents in the evenings whilst others obtain water from disused fire hydrants but the major fear is that this water is often mixed with flowing sewage and needs to be boiled first and the fact that ZESA is not supplying us with electricity worsens the situation," lamented Makhaya of Mbare National.

At Nenyere Flats where over thirty households share a single toilet, Talking Harare was welcomed by a swarm of flies and a stench emanating from the toilet. "We have had to live with this unpleasant smell from the toilet since there is no water to flush away human waste and the fact that more than thirty households share this toilet tells a story that requires urgent response from council. Some water merchants are now also taking advantage of the situation to sell water at $1 per 50litres and this is daylight robbery ," said Moses Chirenje who added council must not wait for disaster to strike for it to respond.

Although efforts to get a comment from city's Director of Water, Engineer Christopher Zvobgo were not successful as his mobile phone went unanswered, council sources said a burst pipe at Prince Edward Water Works was behind the water problems being experienced in Mbare and other suburbs adding the existing pipes were presenting numerous challenges due to old age.

For the past decade City of Harare has been struggling to consistently supply clean water for its residents resulting in continued cholera and typhoid outbreaks.

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