By Clarity Sibanda.
Zimbabwe, Harare.(News Of The South) – The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) ‘s water taskforce on Friday stepped up its water campaign by donating six tanks of water to Mabvuku residents during a water rally.
The public meeting was organized by ZIMCODD‘s Combined Water Alliance as a way of engaging residents and policy makers, an event graced by residents, vendors and the ward Councilor Munya Kufa.
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)‘s leader Simbarashe Moyo who also attended the meeting said the water crisis was indeed affecting most residents and from the look of things would not be abated any time soon adding that the Morton Jaffray refurbishment exercise from the controversial US144,4 million Chinese loan was still at its early stages.
“The Morton Jaffray refurbishment exercise is not a guarantee that its completion is going to ease the water woes currently bedeviling us .Harare needs at least 1400 megalitres per day and if the water plant is revamped to normal capacity it will only provide 600 megaliters and that is undeniably a huge deficit”.
National Vendors Union Zimbabwe (NAVUZ) Chairperson Sten Zvorwadza complemented Moyo saying the water crisis had not spared the hawkers as they were also feeling the brunt especially those in the fresh product retailing.
“There is need for local authorities to address the water woes because it is our right as enshrined in Section 77 of the Constitution .Policy makers must also instill policies bearing in mind that the number of informal traders is sky-rocketing as a result of endemic poverty. They must stop ill-treating us since vending is the only way to sustain our livelihoods,” added Zvorwadza.
On the issue of prepaid meters residents wholly rejected them saying these would infringe their constitutional right to water.
In 2008, more than 4,000 people died after drinking un-sanitized water in a cholera outbreak and residents have expressed fear for another outbreak since most of them have resorted to digging holes to fetch the underground water for consumption.
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