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Water crisis: Health catastrophe looms in Harare
Caiphas Chimhete, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
October 21, 2008

The water crisis has transformed urban areas into rustic habitats. Driving along the Kambuzuma-Mufakose road next to the rail-road crossing in Harare, one would be forgiven for thinking they are in the middle of a rural village. At one end there are women washing clothes. At the other, young boys and girls who would have accompanied their mothers to the "well" can be seen naked, bathing themselves in plastic dishes. Others can be seen playing near the common "water hole" oblivious of the dangers of playing next to a rail-road crossing and the busy Kambuzuma-Mufakose road. After two weeks without water, residents of Kambuzuma high-density area have been converging at this spot from as early as 5am queuing with buckets, dishes, and metal containers to fetch water for various household uses. The water comes from a burst water pipe that has gone unrepaired for months. This site is just one of the many points people in the area have come to rely on since suffering water cuts by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa). Further down towards Mufakose, opposite the police station, another community "well" has emerged. It is a burst water pipe that residents of Mufakose have been relying on since Zinwa also cut water supplies.

As the water crisis worsened throughout Harare, many desperate residents in areas such as Mufakose and Kambuzuma, Budiriro, Glen View, Highfield, Kuwadzana, Glen Norah and Warren Park could be seen looking for water from open wells and burst water pipe points, sparking fears of a disease outbreak. In Glen Norah residents rely on water from a dam between Glen Norah A and B.

On October 11 Zinwa warned residents of a possible disruption to water supplies - almost a week after the water supplies had been cut. Zinwa said the crisis would last, at the most, for four days because of a breakdown at Morton Jaffray Waterworks - Harare's main water treatment plant. The four days have turned to weeks. In some areas supplies were restored last week for a day or two, only to disappear again, drawing the ire of many residents.

Residents who spoke to The Standard last week expressed anger with government for lack of commitment to resolving the problems at Zinwa. Elizabeth Mufuri, from Mhishi in Mufakose, said she was disheartened by the selfishness of those in power.

Mufuri and many others in that part of Mufakose are travelling about 5km to Crowborough North, near Kuwadzana to fetch water. For toilet and bathing purposes residents draw water for bathing and flushing their toilets from the Mukuvisi river, where they risk drowning.

"We have suffered enough. I wish the government could just realise this. We have no rest in this country. If it's not electricity cuts, it is water cuts," Mufuri said. "We never have a break because of problems created by Zanu PF."

Eight days ago, the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) petitioned Zinwa saying it feared a disease outbreak in the high-density areas because of the high numbers of the population densities. The petition was also directed to the ministries of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development, and Local Government and Public Works and Urban Development.

In the petition Zimcodd - a coalition of civic groups and individuals focused on socio-economic justice - is seeking the reversal of Zinwa's takeover of water distribution, administration and sewer reticulation in local authorities across the country.

Information and Communications Officer of Zimcodd, Simbiso Marimbe-Marasha, said the water management problems at Zinwa threatened the country's urban development.

"The spectre of water-borne diseases now threatens the country's urban population of approximately 4,5 million, where it is now widely reported that some municipalities are releasing raw sewerage into rivers and dams," Marimbe-Marasha said.

Adding its voice to the prevailing water crisis, Combined Harare Resident's Association (CHRA)'s chief executive officer, Barnabas Mangodza, said Zinwa's takeover of water from the City of Harare was ill- advised. Mangodza said the incompetence of Zinwa would cause more deaths if allowed to continue.

"(Zinwa) has failed to provide enough clean water to Harare and Chitungwiza. Zinwa is also reported to be failing to procure enough water treatment chemicals needed to purify water before it is pumped into homes," said Mangodza. "This has led to the suspicion that Zinwa is pumping untreated or partially treated water to residents. We continue to receive disturbing reports of cholera and diarrhoea related illnesses and deaths from different parts in and around the city of Harare."

The death toll for the Chitungwiza cholera outbreak, which was triggered by water cuts, continues to rise, with fears that if normal service is not restored, many more people will die.

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