Disaster Looms As Water Crisis Deepens in Zimbabwe

By Violet Gonda
30 0ctober 2006

A serious health crisis is looming in Zimbabwe as several cities have been hit by a major water crisis. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said the capital city Harare has been the hardest hit with many people spending days without water.

In a modern city residents in areas like Malbereign, Glen View, Mabvuku, Budiriro and Tafara are having to resort to using water from shallow wells or walking long distances to find some water.

Mike Davies the chairperson of the Combined Harare Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHRA) said; “ This is a symptom of the villagisation of Harare under ZANU PF’s rule, that the service delivery has been reduced to what you’d get in a village like Gokwe.”

The civic leader said the water crisis has become a perennial problem - especially at this time of the year when it’s extremely hot, proving once again that authorities are incapable of dealing with the issue.

He said; “The answer to this crisis lies essentially in technical and financial areas. We need a new water source that is not heavily polluted, that is easier and cheaper to clean.” But Davies believes that before this aspect can be addressed there needs to be the political will to seek solutions to the crisis.

CHRA has appealed to the three main pillars of the society, the executive, judiciary and parliament but failed on all three fronts to get a positive outcome. As a result the residents have been left with no choice but to embark on a campaign of civil disobedience.

Residents having been dumping raw sewage at their council offices in protest at the raw sewage flowing in their streets and this time they have warned of an increased number of sporadic, spontaneous and small scale demonstrations. Davies said; “And we will continue to press for legal action and we will continue to push for a rates boycott so that we are not funding our own oppression.”

Meanwhile the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition lambasted the water authority, Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) and the Harare Municipality for failing to deliver the commodity, even though people are paying.

The group said although the authorities increased rates from about
Z$2,000 per month up to Z$15,000, claiming it was for water treatment and supplying of water to residents, the quality of water has not improved.

“It has in fact deteriorated to the extent that the water being supplied to residents in Harare gives off a terrible stench and was recently condemned by the municipality’s own experts for failing to meet the minimum safety requirements set by the World Health Organisation and the Standard Association of Zimbabwe,” the Coalition said in a statement.

Mike Davies added; “As far as we are concerned, ZINWA adds no value to the supply chain and is really just another parasitical body that will extract value at the cost to the residents and ratepayers of the city.”

We were not able to get a comment from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority.