Water supply and the sewer reticulation management

Areas like Glenview, Budiriro, Glen Norah, and Msasa Park,
Mabvuku-Tafara, Mandara, Glen Lorne, Marlborough and parts of Hatfield
have gone without water supplies for the past two weeks. CHRA has
received reports from ward(s) leadership in Highfield that the Lusaka
and Paradise areas have not received water supplies since mid-December
last year. UNICEF is still providing water to residents but residents
have pointed out that water is not enough hence they are supplementing
by fetching water from Mukuvisi River. Kuwadzana 3 is experiencing
water cuts on a daily basis and supplies are only available for a
maximum of seven hours a day (usually between 10pm and 5am). However,
some parts of Kuwadzana (especially Kuwadzana 4, 5 and 6),
Dzivarasekwa, Avondale, some parts of Highfield and the Avenues area in
the city centre receive regular water supplies.
Most high density areas in Harare remain plagued with pools of raw
sewerage as ZINWA has failed to attend to burst sewer pipes. A snap
survey of the state of the sewer system is tabulated below;

Other affected areas include Glen Norah, Budiriro, Mbare, Mufakose, Kambuzuma and Warren Park.
The 2009 National Budget Highlights on water and sewer management.
•    Return of water and sewer management (from Zinwa) to the Harare City Council
•    US$31, 2 million for water and sewer provision in both urban and rural authorities.
•    US$12,9 million allocated to the Harare City Council
•    US$4,3 million allocated for the resuscitation of Morton Jeffray Water Works
•    US$1 million allocated for pipe replacement
The return of water and sewer management to the City of Harare, potentially means, among other things:
•    Increased revenue for the City Council (more than 89%).
•    Effective management of water and sewer systems.
•    Increased residents` participation in policy making regarding service delivery
•    Residents` realization of value for their money
•    Improved health, recreational, social welfare and other service provision
•    Improved capacity of the City of Harare to attract investment.
•    Return of council asserts.
Electricity supply
The distribution of power supplies has not been uniform throughout the
city with some areas experiencing power cuts on a daily basis while
others experience power cuts occasionally. There are areas in
Mabvuku-Tafara (especially Mabvuku ward 19) that have not been
receiving supplies for more than a year now. Electricity transformers
that serve the Muchirinji and Nyamaturi and areas around Simudzai
Primary School area in Mabvuku got burnt early last year due to a fault
and they have not been fixed to date; a situation that has seen
residents who live in these areas being forced to make do without
electricity. There are also reports from Mabvuku that a syndicate of
ZEDC electricians are stealing fuses from transformers so as to stop
them from working so that they can demand money (in foreign currency)
from unsuspecting residents to fix' the same transformers. Residents
along Chipita, Manyashe, Gurudzi, around Batanai Primary School and
Muda Roads in Ward 19 have fallen prey to the daylight robbery.
Kuwadzana 5 and 6 is experiencing constant power cuts due to faults
that occur at least twice a week. Residents in Lusaka, Highfield get
power for only four hours on a daily basis. However most areas in the
Northern suburbs, e.g. Mabelreign, Emerald Hill, Sunridge, Greecroft,
Masasa, Greendale, Highlands and Avondale had regular supplies of
electricity during the past week.
Refuse collection
Generally, refuse has not been collected in almost every suburb of the
city and informal dumping sites have increased as a result. In
Glenview, for example, there are piles of refuse along 2nd and 3rd
Avenues, Glenview 3 Primary School and at most open spaces in the
suburb. In Kuwadzana, refuse is being dumped near Kuwadzana 8 Primary
School, Kuwadzana Sub-District Office, at the local clinic and at most
street corners. Open spaces that surround Mbare Musika and the Matapi
area are now an eyesore due to uncollected refuse.
The bread basket
The semi-dollarisation of the economy has made the cost of living
unaffordable to most residents who still get their income in Zimbabwean
dollars. Most retail outlets (licensed and unlicensed) are now charging
their goods in US$ or the South African Rand. Even basic commodities
are being charged in foreign currency. What makes matters worse is the
fact that there is virtually no means through which residents who get
their income in the local currency can access foreign currency as the
banks are not selling hard currency and those who try to access the
much needed cash through the black market are being harassed by the
police.
The following table shows the cost of living for the past week; for an average family of six, living in Harare.
 

The political atmosphere
Zimbabwe is still without an official government and the implementation
of the September 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA) which will
culminate in the formation of an inclusive government by the MDC
formation and ZANU PF is yet to materialize. It is the residents` hope
that the GPA will provide the basis for socio-economic recovery and
culminate in institutional reforms that will culminate in a clear
trajectory towards a democratic Zimbabwe. The continued delay in the
implementation of the GPA has seen the city of Harare and the country
sinking deeper into the myriad of socio-economic and political crises.
The residents have born and continue to bear the burdens of a collapsed
Social Services system.
Conclusion
The delivery of quality municipal services remains a challenge, mainly
due to the amount of damage that was done by the illegal
Makwavarara-led Commission. CHRA hopes that the elected Council will
work tirelessly to restore the city to its sunshine status. The
Association also urges the Harare city Councilors to ensure the maximum
participation of residents in Council projects and holding regular
consultative meetings with residents so that they can also contribute
to the policy formulation and decision making processes of the city.
The Association will continue to closely monitor the service delivery
situation in the city and also to advocate for good governance and
quality service delivery.
(CHRA)