By Princess Eugene Majuru
In the suburbs of Harare, a rhythmic, metallic sound has replaced the hum of industry: the clanking of borehole handles and the hum of electric pumps. Zimbabweans, known for their resilience, are seen “clapping hands”—an ironic gesture of gratitude for the very boreholes that signal a total collapse of urban planning. For a capital city in 2026, the sight of a professional in a suit queuing with a plastic bucket is no longer a temporary crisis; it is the “new normal.”
But how did we get here? A decade ago, the promise of “clean water for all” was tied to a massive $144 million deal. Today, as the dust settles on dry pipes, we look at what really happened to the money, the tenders, and the hope.
The Ghost of the $144 Million Chinese Tender
In 2013, a glimmer of hope arrived in the form of a $144.4 million loan from the China Exim Bank. The tender was awarded to the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) with a clear mission: rehabilitate the Morton Jaffray Water Works and fix the city’s crumbling sewer system.
By 2015, CMEC was confident. They reported that 90% of civil works were complete and that the city would soon see an additional 200 megaliters of water per day. However, the project became mired in controversy:
The Price Tag Scandal: Critics and council officials raised alarms that the equipment—ranging from valves to trucks—was significantly overpriced.
The Debt Trap: As Zimbabwe struggled with foreign currency shortages and debt arrears, the “draw-downs” on the loan became irregular.
The Result: While some technical upgrades were made at Morton Jaffray, the city’s distribution network remained a “sieve.” You can pump all the water in the world, but if 60% of it leaks out of rusted, colonial-era pipes before it reaches a kitchen tap, the investment is essentially poured into the dirt.
Where Are We Today?
As of May 2026, the situation has moved from “crisis” to what experts at the Zimbabwe Water Conference recently termed “water bankruptcy.”
Recent reports from early 2026 indicate that the main reservoirs serving the capital are nearing critical depletion. What remains is often highly contaminated with cyanobacteria and toxins, requiring a cocktail of expensive chemicals that the City of Harare struggles to afford.
While a newer partnership with Helcraw Water aims to boost output at Morton Jaffray to 520 megaliters per day, the city actually requires over 1,200 megaliters to meet demand. The math simply does not add up for a growing population.
A Perfect Storm: Why the Taps Stay Dry
The failure isn’t just about one “missing” tender; it’s a combination of three systemic failures:
Infrastructure Decay: The pipes under Harare’s streets were laid when the city was meant for 300,000 people. It now holds over 2 million.
Climate Change: The El Niño-induced droughts of 2024 and 2025 have left dams like Lake Chivero silted and shallow. Inflows have dropped by more than half in recent years.
Governance Deadlock: The constant “tug-of-war” between the central government and the opposition-led City of Harare has turned water into a political football. When everyone is responsible, no one is accountable.
The Borehole “Solution”
The proliferation of boreholes is a double-edged sword. While they prevent immediate death from thirst or cholera, they are a symptom of a failed state. Relying on groundwater in a city with a broken sewer system is dangerous; the risk of fecal contamination in the water table remains a ticking time bomb for disease.
Furthermore, the “borehole culture” privatizes a basic human right. If you are wealthy, you drill a hole; if you are poor, you wait in a queue.
The water issue in Harare is far from being resolved. In fact, we are currently in a “post-crisis” state where the old “hydrological normal” is gone. To truly fix the taps, Harare needs more than just a new tender or a Chinese loan; it needs a complete overhaul of its distribution network and a massive investment in new water sources like the Kunywi Dam.
Until then, the people of Harare will continue to clap their hands for the sound of a borehole pump—a sound that serves as a constant reminder of the running water they were promised but never received.
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