Harare mayoral plea: New water plant needed to que...

Harare mayoral plea: New water plant needed to quench city’s growing thirst

Oscar J Jeke

Harare residents facing erratic water supplies may soon see some relief, but it hinges on building a brand new water treatment plant, according to Mayor Jacob Mafume.

In a hard-hitting press conference, Mafume painted a grim picture of the city’s ageing infrastructure, struggling to keep pace with Harare’s ever-expanding sprawl.

“The water crisis isn’t unique to Harare, but it’s certainly hitting us hard,” Mafume lamented. “We rely on Lake Manyame, Chivero, and Prince Edward for water, but the last dam specifically built for the city was in the 80s! We have exploding suburbs with residents who need water, and our current system is simply overloaded and outdated.”

The Mayor’s target? The antiquated Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant. “Morton Jaffray is so old,” Mafume chuckled, “The inventor would be astonished it’s still chugging along.” This reliance on an outdated plant isn’t the only hurdle. Procurement processes, according to Mafume, are bogged down by consultations with government and the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, leading to delays in crucial projects.

Adding fuel to the fire is the reliance on imported water treatment chemicals. “Here’s the rub,” Mafume explained: “Council receives its funding in local currency, which loses value rapidly due to inflation. This makes buying these essential chemicals extremely difficult.”

But the Mayor’s frustrations extend beyond water woes. Council buildings, a potential source of revenue, are in a state of disrepair. He blames the lack of a functioning Enterprise Resource Planning system for this, claiming it breeds a culture of opacity and hinders accountability in council finances and revenue collection.