Harare’s Water Woes A Song of Suffering Without End

By Loyd Matare

The sun beats down on the parched earth, a stark reminder of the debilitating water crisis that has gripped Harare for years.

Residents in Mabvuku Tafara, Chitungwiza, Highfield, Glenview, Budiriro, and Mbare have been forced to revert to ancient methods of sourcing water, drilling boreholes and relying on wells, well thanks to the rains that have brought a glimpse of hope to the residents when the Local Authorities have failed to act in the same manner.

The nostalgia is palpable as they reminisce about the days when clean water flowed from their taps.

“I remember when I was a child, we’d drink water straight from the tap. Now, I’m forced to drill a borehole in my backyard just to get a few buckets of water.

“It’s like we’re going back in time. I never thought I’d see the day when we’d be relying on wells again,” says Mai Tafara, a resident of Mabvuku Tafara.

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The water crisis has been exacerbated by a combination of factors, including the persistent drought that hit the country yesteryear, aging infrastructure, corruption within the local board (City of Harare) and mismanagement.

The Harare City Council’s failure to provide adequate water services has led to a situation where residents are forced to fend for themselves.

“We’ve been without running water for long, and sometime when the water comes, we cannot even drink the water because it is smelly most of the times.

“We’re forced to fetch water from a nearby well. It’s a struggle, but what choice do we have?” says Thomas Sibanda, a resident of Zengeza 3 in Chitungwiza.

The situation is no better in Highfield, where residents have resorted to drilling boreholes to access water.

“We’ve had to spend thousands of dollars drilling a borehole just to get water. It’s a costly affair, but we have no choice,” says Precious Mutimbanyoka, a resident of Highfield.

Local authorities, however, point to a different solution. The council has been deemed ‘unprofessional’, and therefore, the government as the messiah to people’s grievances has decided to privatise water provision.

“…We were given the green light to privatise water services. We are now in the process of inviting private sector players, both local and international, to bring proposals, expressions of interest. These are going to be unsolicited bids.

“We want somebody with the capacity to engineer, to procure, to construct and manage the finance. That’s the model that we are working on. Engineering, procurement, construction, management and finance.

“These are unsolicited bids. So, as we speak, we’ve already received about five expressions of interest from local players and three from international players,” Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said.

But residents are skeptical. “Privatisation will only make things worse,” says Mai Tafara. “We’ll be forced to pay exorbitant prices for water. It’s not a solution; it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Experts agree that privatization is not a panacea for Harare’s water woes.

“Privatisation of public services is admission of failure by the national government to build the capacity of local authorities through regular and timely financial grants in health and water supply service delivery.

“The government needs to take a more holistic approach to addressing the water crisis, one that takes into account the needs of all residents, not just those who can afford to pay,” Harare Residents Trust Director, Precious Shumba said.

As the water crisis deepens, Harare’s residents are left to wonder if they’ll ever see the day when clean water flows from their taps again.

For now, they’re forced to rely on ancient methods, a nostalgic reminder of a time when life was simpler, but no less challenging.

“We’re not just fighting for water; we’re fighting for our dignity. We deserve better. We deserve clean water, and we deserve it now,” says Thomas Sibanda.

The song of suffering continues, a haunting melody that echoes through the streets of Harare, a reminder of the city’s unending water woes.