Sewer Recticulation Plant One of the Councilors who were part of the delegation on tour (name
withheld) revealed to CHRA that Council discovered that the Firle Water
Works has not been operational since 2005 when ZINWA took over the
management of the water services in Harare. As a result, ZINWA was
actually depositing raw sewer into Manyame River and Lake Chivero; a
situation that has rendered the Harare water to be heavily polluted.
The Councilor said that this could be the major reason why ZINWA was
finding it difficult to provide clean water to residents as treating
the heavily polluted water was proving to be quite expensive. A total
of eight different chemicals are needed to purify the Harare water
while other cities like Mutare need only one chemical for water
treatment. This means the whole city had to rely on the Morton Jeffrey
Water Works in Norton which was often affected by power cuts and the
obsolete equipment at the Treatment Plant; a situation that led to the
acute water shortages in Harare and the subsequent cholera outbreak in
August 2008. Councilors have pointed out that both Firle and Morton
Jeffrey are in need of a massive capital injection for them to operate
normally.
Furthermore, a water pump that has been reportedly lying idle for
thirty years was discovered by the City of Harare at Prince Edward
water works while residents endured persistent water cuts that exposed
them to cholera. This revelation is evidence to the negligence that was
exercised by the authorities in charge of water and sewer management.
ZINWA continuously blamed the Harare water woes on the obsolete
equipment that the water utility reportedly inherited from the City of
Harare and yet a sound water pump was lying idle without the knowledge
of ZINWA. It is also clear that ZINWA did not conduct a thorough audit
of the water infrastructure when it took over the management of water
and sewer reticulation services from the City of Harare. The
discoveries that have been made by the Council are clear evidence of
ZINWA's incapacity that has plunged Harare into the worst cholera
outbreak ever.
This is the reason why residents are keen to have the City of Harare
regain complete control of the water affairs of Harare so that the
confusion that surrounds the hand-over of the management of water
services can come to an end. A Council official who requested anonymity
for fear of victimization said that the truth on the ground is that no
progress has been made in the hand-over process. The Council has not
yet convened to discuss the issue of the hand-over. The source pointed
out that the reports that have come out in the media where City of
Harare officials have said that they will bill water using the ZINWA
rates is just a matter of public relations because ZINWA seems to be
still in control. He however confirmed that the ZINWA management is
actually reporting to the Harare Town clerk.
These reports are worrying especially considering the fact that the
water situation in Harare needs to be improved urgently so as to avoid
loss of more lives to the cholera pandemic. The confusion that is
between ZINWA and the City of Harare is the last thing that residents
need at this point in time. CHRA urges the new government to look into
this matter and ensure that the management of water and sewer
reticulation services is not politicized by people who are just
interested in extorting money from residents. The City of Harare should
regain total control of the water and sewer reticulation services in
Harare and proper water management systems must be set up so that
constant supplies of clean water to residents can be resumed.
CHRA will continue to advocate for good, transparent and accountable
local governance as well as the delivery of quality and affordable
municipal services. – CHRA Alert