Harare proposes sharp water tariff hikes in 2026 budget

Harare City Council has sparked outrage after proposing steep water tariff increases in its US$690 million 2026 budget, with residents in low-density suburbs facing hikes of up to 188 percent and those in high-density areas seeing a 61 percent rise.

Presenting the budget on Thursday, Finance Committee Chairperson Councillor Costa Mande said the adjustments were meant to align water charges with the actual cost of production and distribution while maintaining affordability for low-income households.

"The 2026 water tariff review aims to align rates with cost recovery while maintaining affordability for low-consumption households," said Cllr Mande. "The lifeline band (0–5 cubic metres) remains moderately subsidised to protect vulnerable households, while consumption above 20 cubic metres will incur incremental cost recovery."

Under the proposed structure, residents in high-density suburbs who currently pay US$1.24 per cubic metre for the first 5 cubic metres would pay US$2, a 61 percent increase. In low-density suburbs, the same volume would rise from US$1.70 to US$4.90 per cubic metre, representing a 188 percent jump.

Cllr Mande said the hikes were driven by escalating costs of water treatment chemicals, electricity, and ageing infrastructure, adding that the new tariffs had been indexed to supply costs and energy inputs to ensure sustainability.

"At the same time, the tariff design ensures that industrial and commercial users contribute proportionately to the cost of service provision," he said.

If approved, the increases are expected to sharply raise monthly water bills - particularly for households in low-density suburbs where consumption tends to be higher.

However, the proposal immediately divided councillors. Councillor Denford Ngadziore accused the Finance Committee of disregarding a prior inter-committee resolution not to raise water tariffs this year.

"Cllr Mande, why hold a meeting knowing fully well that what we agreed upon in the inter-committee meeting on Wednesday was not to hike the water tariffs?" said Cllr Ngadziore. "We need to propose something residents can accept. Before this, we already introduced a water infrastructure levy - now we're talking about another increase."

Residents' groups have also condemned the proposed hikes. The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) described the increases as "unacceptable" and "unjustified," accusing the local authority of commercialising an essential service and ignoring public input.

CHRA director Mr Reuben Akili said the new rates - US$2 per 1,000 litres in high-density areas and US$4.90 per 1,000 litres in low-density suburbs - were disproportionate to the actual production cost, which he estimated at US$0.70.

"The sharp increase in water tariffs is unacceptable. It shows that there is something amiss in how the local authority engages residents," said Mr Akili. "It's neither fair nor transparent, and it proves that the council is not willing to consider the voices of the people."

He said residents were mobilising to formally object to the proposals during the ongoing budget consultations.

"Even at US$1.24, water in Harare had already been commercialised, considering that it costs the council only US$0.70 to produce 1,000 litres. Raising it to US$2 and US$4 respectively is unjustifiable," Akili added.

The proposed budget will now undergo a 30-day consultation period with residents, business associations, and other stakeholders before being finalised.