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Water-borne diseases in Harare - Mutezo must go!
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
January 07, 2008

Harare residents have been calling for ZINWA to restore management of their water supply to the City of Harare for over two years. Sadly, these calls have continuously fallen on deaf ears, the ears of Minister of Water Resources, Munacho Mutezo being particularly bunged up. His favourite phrase has always been: "The take-over is a Cabinet directive", allowing him to avoid engaging in any serious debate on the matter. He obviously does not share MDC's belief that residents have a right to participate in decisions affecting them.

Now the chickens have come home to roost, with outbreaks of severe diarrhoeal water-borne diseases all over town, particularly Mabvuku, Tafara and Hatcliffe. Far from ZINWA improving the supply of clean water, these and other suburbs have endured increased water shortages, with residents going for weeks and months at a time without a single drop of water coming out of their taps, quite apart from overflowing sewage outside and even inside their homes.

In October, Deputy Minister Walter Mzembi tried valiantly to convince the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees of Local Government and Health that ZINWA failures would be dealt with "by next week" and the city's residents would see a huge improvement in their water and sewerage. Far from it, residents' fears of disease have now become reality.

Not only are residents succumbing to water-borne diseases, but even the clinics have been unable to assist the sick because they themselves have no water! Hatcliffe Clinic reported yesterday that they had had no water for over a week, and although they had been sent a bowser, they could not fill it at the nearby borehole because the City of Harare had no diesel to put in the tractor to tow the bowser! Fortunately the City Director of Health, Dr Mungofa, realized the seriousness of the situation when he was alerted, and organized some plastic containers of water for Hatcliffe Clinic himself- but that was not his job. That was the responsibility of the Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Mutezo, under whose ministry ZINWA falls.

Since ZINWA cannot provide water to a clinic in the City of Harare, and since there is now a serious outbreak of water-borne diseases, especially diarrhoea and fears of cholera, as a result of ZINWA's failure to provide clean water to Harare residents throughout the city, it is clear that Mutezo has failed. He must do the honourable thing and resign.

Mutezo must go!

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