Harare City Council does not build dams, says Mayor

HARARE mayor Jacob Mafume yesterday shot back at Zanu-PF claims that the local authority had failed to provide enough potable water to residents because it had not built an adequate number of dams for the capital city.

This follows social media reports by ruling party Zanu-PF supporters who are accusing the Harare City Council (HCC) of failing to construct dams resulting in water shortages.

"Work in progress as Kunzwi Dam construction proceeds unabated. Kunzvi Dam is in Goromonzi at the confluence of Nyaguwe and Nora rivers. It will supply water to @JacobMafume we are fixing problems you have failed to fix," read one tweet by the Zanu-PF supporters.

Mafume quashed the claims saying: "Blaming City Council is ridiculous. Zimbabwe National Water Authority through the President is in charge of all water and rivers (and) underground (water) in Zimbabwe, and that is what the law in relation to water says. We cannot blame the city council for the failure of building dams. When we had the duty to build dams, we built Lake Chivero. Since then they have not built any dam and the last dam that was built for Harare was in 1976. Greater Harare is now catering for four million people who have no water source."

Mafume said HCC was behind the building of Kunji, Muda and Musanhi dams which were going to help to solve water challenges in Chitungwiza.

"We are also considering building a canal that moves from the catchment area around Marondera headlands (to) divert water that will water Chitungwiza, Goromonzi and many of the eastern suburbs, and it will be a short canal," Mafume said.

Last month, Mafume announced that Harare needs about US$800 million to end its water challenges.

Some parts of Harare have gone for years without potable water, a situation which has forced residents to resort to shallow wells and boreholes, risking contracting waterborne diseases.