Harare City Council yesterday cut water supplies to the
entire Harare metropolitan area, citing the shortage of critical treatment
chemicals even though the Government last week released $37,4 million as part
of interventions to improve water access and waste water treatment.
Council spokesman Mr Michael Chideme said Harare’s water
treatment plant, Morton Jaffray, had stopped pumping water because council was
incapacitated.
“As we speak, Morton Jaffray is not operating, we ran out
of the critical chemicals early this morning (yesterday) and the plant had to
be shut down so we have to run around to try and get supplies from even
suppliers whom we do not have contracts with.”
The development was met with anger from the Government and
residents who suggested the need to set up a commission to run the affairs of
the city following the all-time low which may put three million lives in
danger.
Mr Chideme said firms could only supply water chemicals
after 24 hours, being time for delivery.
“They (chemicals) have to be imported so right now they are
busy trying to organise the shipment of the consignment into Zimbabwe and
subsequently to Harare so that we can resume treatment of water,” said Mr
Chideme.
“If you have been following our arguments on water, even if
the chemicals were to come today we cannot exceed our treatment capacity of
around 300 million litres a day now, because of the poor quality of the raw
water in our dams and also the dwindling levels of water in the dams in Lake
Chivero and Lake Manyame.”
He also cited drought as the major cause of water
shortages. “We have also shut down one of our water treatment plants,
Prince Edward because Seke and Harava dams are dry. There is no longer any
water to treat so we are in a drought season.
“The only solution that will allow everybody to get water
is the construction of new additional water bodies,” he said.
Harare City Council acting Mayor, Councillor Enock
Mupamawonde said the situation has reached alarming levels.
“It is quite stressful. We do not see the situation
improving if nothing is done very soon. It is the reason why we make the appeal
to central Government to avail at least $20 million to procure chemicals,” he
said.
However, Government last week released money to the
council. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information,
Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana confirmed that the
Government released the $37,4 m to Harare City Council and pointed out that the
city’s incapacitation had everything to do the local authority’s management.
“I can confirm that the Government has released funds to
Harare City Council,” Mr Mangwana said.
“The move was initiated by the Government and not the
council. The Harare City Council’s billing has not been functioning for the
past five months that is the reason why they are broke. It is an inefficient
council putting the life of the residents at risk. The Government will not fold
its hands,” said Mr Mangwana.
“We cannot have a council politicking. We cannot politicise
the issue of water. There is no need to play around with residents lives,” he
said
Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said the
city fathers had failed hence the
central Government should intervene.
“Its high time the Government sent a clear message to
errant councillors who are failing to provide clean water to residents,” he
said.
“There is lack of planning and sensitivity in the part of
the city fathers. They should not blame the central Government using Kunzvi dam
as scapegoat
“I understand 60 percent of treated water was leaking
during the distribution network process, illegal connection of water by the
Harare City Council engineers, hence the City council is responsible,” he said.
Zanu-PF Youth League Secretary for Administration Cde
Tendai Chirau said the situation was worrisome, necessitating change of guard
in the city.
“There is no reason for us to have the Harare City council
management at work. The Ministry of Local Government should set up a commission
composed of technocrats to run the affairs of the city council for the
betterment of the already suffering residents,” said Cde Chirau.
The Council, Cde Chirau said should have the high yield
capacity boreholes through out Harare to ease water supplies in Harare. Herald
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