Harare fails to meet water deadline

Leroy Dzenga

Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare is yet to implement the stop gap measures it promised to contain the water crisis affecting the city.

The council held an extraordinary meeting on July 22 and promised to buy 12 bowsers in seven days that would provide water to residential areas.

In an interview with ZTN news, Environmental Management Committee chairperson, Kudzai Kadzombe gave a timeline.

“We laid a timeline of seven days to procure the bowsers and get them to areas in need of water,” Kadzombe said then.

14 days have passed with no signs of the bowsers in the capital.

Although Harare City Council insists that it will go ahead with its plans to buy bowsers, the water situation remains desperate.

City of Harare spokesperson, Michael Chideme said despite the delay, the city is going ahead with its plans to procure water bowsers.

“We have decided to cart water using bowsers. The last full council meeting decided that the bowsers be procured. The process has begun and we will be delivering water through bowsers soon,” he said, without giving specific timelines.

The delay in procuring bowsers could prove deadly for Harare residents as there have been reports of diarrhoea cases in areas like Glen View and Budiriro which in the past have been the epicentres of cholera outbreaks.