Source: Mafume: Harare water crisis now out of control – The Standard
Harare mayor Jacob Mafume has written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa appealing for urgent intervention in the city’s worsening water crisis.
In a letter to the chief decretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mafume admitted that the problem hadspiralled beyond the municipality’s capacity to handle.
He warned that the contamination of Lake Chivero and the widespread failure of critical infrastructure now pose an “imminent threat to public health” and require action “at the highest level”.
The long-delayed Kunzvi Dam project, first conceived in the 1970s, is intended to supplement Harare’s water supply, but construction has repeatedly stalled due to funding constraints.
“The contents of the town clerk’s letter present a clear and compelling case that the current situation in Harare is no longer tenable and poses an imminent threat to the public health, environmental sustainability and the overall wellbeing of our city,” Mafume wrote.
“The gravity of this crisis necessitates action beyond the normal administrative processes as the risks to life and health can never be overstated.”
The mayor said the city’s capacity to address the challenges had been “outpaced by the scale and the complexity of the problem”.
“As emphasised in the town clerk’s letter, the proposed interventions require presidential intervention and authority to bypass bureaucratic delays and enable a coordinated, decisive response,” he said.
“Such a response is critical for stabilising the situation and preventing long-term consequences for both the environment and the residents of Harare.
“I, therefore, reaffirm the need for urgent intervention which includes declaring a state of emergency for Harare’s water and wastewater systems as appropriate and essential measures to mobilise the resources and expertise to address this crisis.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the Edith Opperman project’s official commencement on Thursday, Mafume defended his decision to write to the president, saying there was “no harm in asking my boss for help”.
“Well, we complement the efforts of the government. You know our result system? I signed a performance contract in front of the president,” he said.
“We have a one government approach. This governing array is not a hara-kiri moment where I can perform some magic.”
He added: “There are certain things that can be done at the national level.
“For example, to create a junction it would be required at the national government level. Morton Jaffray is the biggest water treatment plant in southern Africa.
“It requires national intervention.”
He added that writing to the president was not a sign of failure, but a way to highlight pressing issues among many competing for attention.
“Kunzvi Dam requires national intervention,” he said.
“We need to provide services to the people and therefore I need to get his attention and our institutions are institutions of record.
“You do not get the attention of the principal by whispering.
“You get the attention of the principal by writing as we have done.”
Harare’s water woes are decades in the making, rooted in aging infrastructure, industrial pollution, and financial mismanagement.
Residents in most suburbs now go days or weeks without running water.
When supplies are restored, the water is often discoloured or smells of sewage, forcing households to rely on shallow wells.
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