A Harare councilor has come out guns blazing accusing Zanu (PF) militia group, Chipangano of being behind the typhoid outbreak in Mbare.
The high density suburb of Mbare has been among the areas that have been hard hit by the typhoid outbreak in Harare which has so far claimed two lives since December 2016.
Reacting to a Facebook post by the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) on the typhoid outbreak, Ward 27 Councilor, Herbert Gomba said Chipangano and defaulting residents were behind the typhoid outbreak.
CHRA is on record challenging the Harare City Council to address the major drivers of typhoid such as the lack of clean, safe and portable water, poor sanitation services as well as poor waste management strategies.
But Gomba blamed Chipangano for blocking a $5 million housing scheme by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which would have resulted in houses being built for the poor residents in Mbare in 2011.
The project had to be moved to Dzivarasekwa after Chipangano youths demanded a 51 percent share of the 80 blocks of flats that were meant to benefit crowded Mbare residents.
Said Gomba in his response, “They (Chipangano) refused to allow us to replace these flats and sewer. I am known for telling the truth and I need to tell this truth that the Mbare typhoid was caused by Chipangano which refused to accept Mayor Masunda’s Bill Gates funding to replace the old sewer system and flats.
“Chipangano for years was the council and I am glad they should realize now that not everything should be politicized.”
In 2011, Harare City Council revealed that Chipangano, which was then led by Jim Kunaka, was collecting rentals from tenants at Mbare flats and nothing was going to the local authority.
At a stakeholder engagement meeting held by the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) on January 6, 2016, the City of Harare came under fire for poor service delivery which has left residents exposed to diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
The Harare City Council is currently allocating $9 million out of the $13 million t is collecting monthly, to salaries while $1 million is going towards service delivery.
