What’s World-Class City Status without water?

 

Crisis… Harare residents queue at a borehole, waiting for their turn to collect water. (Photo credit: REUTERS)

Edgar Gweshe

Harare – For over three decades, residents of Mabvuku have lived without reliable access to piped water.

While the Harare City Council (HCC) strives to transform the capital into a world-class city by 2025, Mabvuku residents question the feasibility of such an ambitious goal.

“A world-class city without water?” they ask. “It’s a contradiction.”

This contradiction is underscored by the reality that Mabvuku residents remain vulnerable to diseases like cholera and typhoid, casting doubt on Harare’s chances of achieving world-class status by 2025.

HCC, responsible for supplying Harare and its surrounding areas, including Chitungwiza, Epworth, and Ruwa, currently provides only 300 megalitres of water daily, far short of the 1200 megalitres needed.

The resulting water shortages are severe and persistent.

A city drowning in challenges

Over the years, Harare’s water crisis has been attributed to various factors, including dilapidated infrastructure, corruption, El Niño-induced droughts, mismanagement, and rapid population growth.

These challenges have led to a staggering 900-megalitre daily deficit, according to local authorities.

The destruction of wetlands, crucial water sources, and the high costs of water treatment and electricity, amounting to approximately US$3 million per month have exacerbated the shortages.

Stakeholders note that city planning has largely ignored the need to protect these vital wetlands, leaving them vulnerable to unsustainable farming, unplanned developments, sand mining, and pollution from poor waste management.

For Mabvuku residents, access to clean water remains a distant hope, casting doubt on the city’s goal of achieving world-class status by 2025, especially given the state of Harare’s aging infrastructure and poor road conditions.

An independent survey revealed that women and young girls frequently queue for water at odd hours in Mabvuku, which has led to increased incidents of rape and sexual abuse.

Marian Majonga, a Mabvuku resident, questioned the practicality of HCC’s world-class city ambition amid persistent water shortages.

“When the city (HCC), announced its plans to become a world class city by 2025, we were left wondering how this would be possible when we don’t have water.

“The provision of clean, safe and potable water to residents is one of the major characteristics of a world class city yet we have gone for decades without water and our concerns continue to be ignored.

“Without water, we can never talk of a world class city status. That is a big joke,” said Majonga.

A call for action 

Cleveland Action Alliance Trust (CAAT), a Mabvuku-based community organization, highlighted the impact of wetland destruction on Harare’s water crisis.

CAAT coordinator Jimmy Mahachi called for concerted efforts to protect these essential areas.

“Wetlands serve as water sources for Harare and their continued destruction is further worsening the water situation in Harare.

“The sustainable development of the city depends on wetlands protection hence our call to authorities to enforce the law and ensure wetlands protection,” said Mahachi.

Precious Shumba, director of the Harare Residents Trust (HRT), stated that poor governance and service delivery make the notion of Harare as a world-class city unlikely.

“Infrastructure upgrades are way behind population growth and urban sprawl. New settlements have no water, sewerage and road infrastructure to enable the ease of doing business.

“Harare does not have a functional, transparent and accountable billing system. Corruption within the council system remains a major challenge,” said Shumba.

He added that interference from the central government hampers city operations.

“The national government is entrenching its centralisation of governance and administration of City of Harare.

“This means that while the constitution of Zimbabwe provides with the right hand for devolved governance and the transfer of powers and authority to local authorities, the national government is using the left hand to financially cripple local authorities, especially Harare City Council.

“Therefore, achieving a smart City by 2025 is a mirage, hindered by internal dysfunctions and external interference and the volatile socioeconomic conditions in the country,” said Shumba.

Hardlife Mudzingwa, director of the Community Water Alliance (CWA), emphasized that a smart city should be built on climate-resilient infrastructure, a sustainable waste management model, environmental conservation, and wetlands protection.

“A smart city should be anchored on climate smart forms of energy; refuse model anchored on “reduce, reuse, recycle and recover” model; masterplan corporating environmental issues particularly wetlands preservation for Harare.

Mudzingwa went on to say “access to affordable and adequate WASH services; and a functional governance system with proper laws, policies and regulations, resource resource capacity and citizen engagement” were the key attributes to achieve a world class city.

An independent investigation unearthed that Harare city falls short on these fronts

Harare’s World-Class City ambitions stalled by Covid 19

HCC spokesperson Stanley Gama, in an interview, acknowledged the significant hurdles the capital faced in its pursuit of world-class status by 2025.

Gama cited the Covid 19 pandemic as the primary factor hindering progress toward this ambitious vision.

“The City was moving well until Covid-19 hit and took them back three to four years. But the City is reorganizing itself to achieve that in the next few years.

“Also you must take into account the general situation that every company and everyone are still working on recovering from things like currency changes.

“But everyone at the City of Harare wants to achieve World Class City status as soon as possible,” said Gama.

Harare city’s aspiration to become a world-class city by 2025 hinges on resolving the critical issue of water security.

A consistent supply of clean water is indispensable for the city’s development and prosperity.

Without it, this vision may remain a pipe dream.