Opinion / Columnist
Cholera outbreak looms in Harare
17 Oct 2014 at 08:14hrs | Views
The MDC Renewal Team is seriously concerned by the acute water shortages in Harare and exposing its residents to communicable diseases such as dysentery and cholera.
A Local Government committee of the MDC Renewal Team, which was led by Emmanuel Chiroto today toured Budiriro suburb in Harare where it came face to face with the appalling water shortages in the area.
During the tour, the residents of Budiriro told Mr. Chiroto that since January this year, they had no water supplies and are relying for water from unprotected water wells for cooking, laundry, bathing and flushing the toilets.
The residents complained that the boreholes which were sunk during the height of the 2008 cholera outbreak were no longer functioning and resulting in a serious shortage of water and an outbreak of diarrhea especially among the children in the suburb. The residents feared that another outbreak of cholera was looming in the suburb. In 2008, Budiriro was one of the hardest hit areas of the cholera outbreak, which killed over 4 000 people across the country.
Thousands of households have now been affected by the non-availability of safe water supplies in Budiriro but the residents also expressed shock and anger that the Harare City Council continued to bill and force them to pay for monthly water charges which range on an average of US$50 per household. The surrounding local shops, market stalls and schools also have no water supplies.
Reports gathered by the MDC Renewal Team's Local Government committee are that the Harare City Council is failing to provide water to Budiriro and most parts of Harare because it decommissioned some water pumps at the Morton Jaffary Water Works last year and almost a year now no effort has been carried out to rectify the crisis.
Most residents had turned to buying bulk water because the local authorities were failing to supply constant and safe water. It is clear that the Harare City Council, Zinwa and other local authorities are clear violation of the country's Constitution and international conventions, which clearly have provisions of availing water to every citizen as one of the human rights basis.
The MDC Renewal Team's Local Government committee is concerned that the residents and businesses have no water supplies when senior council employees are awarding themselves mega salaries for non-delivery of service.
The Local Government committee will take up the issue with the relevant authorities so that basic service delivery such as water supplies and refuse collections are restored in all areas.
Emmanuel Chiroto
MDC Renewal Team Local Government committee member
For more details visit: - www.mdcrenewalteam.co.zw
Source - www.mdcrenewalteam.co.zw
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