News / National
Harare municipal workers demand bribes for sewer bursts
6 hrs ago |
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The sanitation crisis in Harare is worsening amid allegations that some municipal workers are demanding bribes to attend to burst sewage pipes, as the city grapples with deteriorating infrastructure and rising public health risks.
Residents and civic groups say raw sewage continues to spill into suburbs such as Glen View and Budiriro, with some reported sewer bursts left unattended for weeks, raising fears of renewed cholera outbreaks.
The crisis has been linked to long-standing failures in water and sanitation infrastructure, with critics warning that the situation is now being compounded by alleged corruption within the city's water department.
Harare Residents Trust executive director Precious Shumba alleged that some workers were demanding payments before carrying out repairs.
"The workers in the water department have become the most corrupt workers at Harare City Council; they are demanding at least US$5 per household to attend to a sewer burst," he said.
He warned that delays in attending to sewage bursts were increasing public health risks and called for urgent government intervention.
Similarly, Combined Harare Residents Association director Rueben Akili called for accountability measures, including arrests of officials allegedly involved in extortion.
"We are aware that some council workers… are demanding money to attend to sewer bursts and water leakages," he said.
In response, Harare mayor Jacob Mafume said bribery was not council policy and confirmed that investigations were underway into the allegations.
"It is not council policy to demand bribes and we are investigating the matter," he said.
The worsening sanitation breakdown has intensified concerns over cholera, which has become recurrent in the city due to contaminated water sources, overcrowding in high-density suburbs, and aging infrastructure.
Public health experts warn that without urgent repairs and improved governance within municipal services, Harare faces continued outbreaks linked to poor waste management and unreliable water supply systems.
Residents and civic groups say raw sewage continues to spill into suburbs such as Glen View and Budiriro, with some reported sewer bursts left unattended for weeks, raising fears of renewed cholera outbreaks.
The crisis has been linked to long-standing failures in water and sanitation infrastructure, with critics warning that the situation is now being compounded by alleged corruption within the city's water department.
Harare Residents Trust executive director Precious Shumba alleged that some workers were demanding payments before carrying out repairs.
"The workers in the water department have become the most corrupt workers at Harare City Council; they are demanding at least US$5 per household to attend to a sewer burst," he said.
He warned that delays in attending to sewage bursts were increasing public health risks and called for urgent government intervention.
Similarly, Combined Harare Residents Association director Rueben Akili called for accountability measures, including arrests of officials allegedly involved in extortion.
"We are aware that some council workers… are demanding money to attend to sewer bursts and water leakages," he said.
In response, Harare mayor Jacob Mafume said bribery was not council policy and confirmed that investigations were underway into the allegations.
"It is not council policy to demand bribes and we are investigating the matter," he said.
The worsening sanitation breakdown has intensified concerns over cholera, which has become recurrent in the city due to contaminated water sources, overcrowding in high-density suburbs, and aging infrastructure.
Public health experts warn that without urgent repairs and improved governance within municipal services, Harare faces continued outbreaks linked to poor waste management and unreliable water supply systems.
Source - newsday
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