By Zivanai Dhewa

Harare residents are up in arms against the Harare City Council (HCC) for failing to supply them with water for months on end, a situation that is likely to expose them to water bone diseases, the Harare Post can report.

On his Twitter post Political Analyst, Kudzai Mutisi lamented on the dire situation in Harare where water has not been supplied for months in most suburbs.

“My friend in Kuwadzana 5 says there is no water coming out of their taps for months, it’s literally dry. The MDC running the City of Harare has a duty to ensure there is water in all suburbs,” Mutisi said.

Responding to questions from the Harare Post, Chairman of the Harare Residents Trust (HRT), Precious Shumba said most of the surburbs had gone dry for some time.

“Nearly all suburbs in Harare have no water, including the densely populated Mbare, Highfield and Mufakose. The City is currently supplying water to 22 percent of properties,” said Shumba.

“The reality is that the City of Harare is dismally failing to efficiently and effectively manage the little financial resources at their disposal.

“They have continued to recruit yet they do not have the money.  All their funds are being directed toward salaries, allowances and administration plus out of Harare workshops, leaving very little money for service provision, including purchase of water treatment chemicals,” said Shumba.

Sanctions lobbyist Dhewa Mavhinga in what appears to be a rude awakening on the effects of same to the ordinary man, also bemoaned the scarcity of the precious liquid in the city. Apparently Mavhinga, Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti were in the US last year where they allegedly lobbied for more sanctions.

 “Tragic, what is happening with HCC?  Have you engaged your local councillor? What is the problem?  How are people surviving without access to water,” wrote Mavhinga on his twitter handle.

Meanwhile, in a statement on its Facebook page, the HCC said, “Currently our water production is very depressed.  We are managing only 100 million litres against a daily average of 450 million litres.  Our available stocks of chlorine gas can only last us for two days.

“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has promised to release an initial US$150 000 toward the importation of chlorine gas.”

There is fear among residents that the devastating 2008 cholera might recur if the water situation is not speedily addressed.