Harare is now sitting on a health time bomb due to a water crisis that has seen the local authority announcing a water rationing schedule likely to result in some suburbs getting water once a week.
Last week, City of Harare announced that it is facing serious foreign currency challenges coupled with low water levels at its dams, a move that forced the city fathers to ration water.
In a telephone interview with 263Chat, spokesperson for the Community Water Alliance (CWA), Hardlife Mudzingwa said Harare was heading towards a disaster as the water levels had decreased drastically.
“Looking at some of the water levels in high density suburbs, we are expecting a major disease outbreak due to inadequate water supply. We are likely to have high number of water -borne diseases outbreak cases this year because the situation is out of control,” said Mudzingwa.
“The situation is very bad. I’m getting into the community to assess the situation, the situation has gone out of hand. We have started to receive cases starting with the cholera hotspots in Budiriro and Glenview yet we are still in July. What more in September, October when the dry spell comes,” added Mudzingwa.
Mudzingwa, a leading advocate for the provision of safe, clean water to the citizens of Harare, urged City of Harare to guarantee residents access to clean and safe water.
“Most of the people in the community are getting their water from condemned water sources because they have no option. The council has to find other alternatives to make sure that the people have access to safe and clean water as it is their constitutional right,” added Mudzingwa.
City of Harare Spokesperson Michael Chideme could not respond to questions as he was in a meeting.
Early this year, Harare’s Glen View and Budiriro suburbs recorded over a hundred cases of cholera and typhoid resulting in the death of close to 50 people.
