WEEKY CITY WATCH, 12 April 2010

Harare goes without water
Most areas in the city (including the city centre)
experienced a long dry spell during the weekend.
Reports from the City of Harare indicate that water
supplies had to be temporarily discontinued so as to
carry out refurbishments at Morton Jeffrey water
works. It is not yet clear when water supplies will be
resumed.
Mabelreign
The Zambezi Flats in the Mabelreign area has been
experiencing water shortages since February 2010.
Supplies are usually available during the late night
hours and the pressure of the water will be so low
that residents who live in the upper floors do not get
water.
Greendale
Pipe leakages along Fallon Road and Louis Road
have negatively affected water supplies in the area as
the supplies are no longer constant. Residents fear
that if the pipes are not fixed, prolonged water cuts
might resume in the area.
Harare Drive has become a commercial dumpsite
and residents living in Latimer and Abel Roads have
said that the dumpsite is a health time bomb as it has
become breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Power cuts occur on a daily basis for 2to 4
hours a day.
The Eviction Saga unfolds...
As Councilors put the blame on political rivals
The councillors for Glen Norah and Highfields
denied the allegations of evicting people from
council houses that were being nailed against
them. They dismissed the stories as mere political
sabotage strategies by their rivals.
Councillor Marange and seven other unnamed
Councillors met with a few residents in Glen Norah A
on Friday the 26th Of March 2010 to clear the air
surrounding the issue. The Councillors maintained
that they had not evicted anyone and expressed shock
at the allegations that their names were actually
appearing on the bills of the said houses. CHRA
sought comment from Councillor Masiye Kapare
(Ward 7) who pointed out that the Director of
Housing and the Town Clerk are the ones who gave
the green light for Councillors to apply for houses
from Council. He said that Councilors had only made
applications but they were not told that the houses
were already occupied, neither were they involved in
the alterations of ownership and subsequent evictions.
The Councillors have said that the whole fiasco is a
calculated ploy by the Minister of Local Government
and his cronies at Town House to tarnish their image
and make them lose favour with the residents. They
also pointed out that they are being victimized for
carrying out investigations to expose the
unprocedural acquisition of large chunks of land by
Minister Chombo and business tycoon, Philip
Chiyangwa.
Residents have however, castigated the Councilors
for trying to acquire houses for themselves when
thousands of residents are still living in shacks for
lack of decent housing.

WEEKY CITY WATCH, 12 April 2010
145 Robert Mugabe Way, Exploration House, Third Floor; Website: www.chra.co.zw
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admin@chra.co admin@chra.co.zw , ceo@chra.co.zw

Harare
Greendale (Continued)
The typhoid outbreak in Mabvuku now
seems to be under control. However,
isolated cases are still being reported.
CHRA is planning a clean up campaign
to remove the pile of refuse at
Matongo Shopping centre. The pile of
refuse was tested and found to contain
the typhoid bacteria
2
Mutare



Greendale (Continued)
The typhoid outbreak in Mabvuku now
seems to be under control. However,
isolated cases are still being reported.
CHRA is planning a clean up campaign
to remove the pile of refuse at
Matongo Shopping centre. The pile of
refuse was tested and found to contain
the typhoid bacteria
2
Mutare
Residents accuse Council of unprofessionalism
The residents in Mutare have accused the Council
of being unprofessional in its conduct and
engaging in corrupt activities. At a public meeting
that was conducted by CHRA on the 29th of
March 2010 in the suburb of Sakubva, residents
pointed out that Council was demanding money
for non existent services. It emerged that Council
had actually evicted residents with outstanding
bills from Council houses. Some of the residents
were actually said to be living in the open.
There are also households in Sakubva that had
their water disconnected for unspecified reasons in
November last year and they have not had water
supplies ever since. About 250 houses were
disconnected. However, these residents still
receive water bills from the City Council and they
are actually paying the bills for fear of being
evicted from their houses.
Residents who live at the Macgrecors Flats in
Mutare also complained that the Council is not
crediting their monthly bill payments into their
accounts; a situation that has caused unnecessary
inflation of their monthly bills. Residents are in
constant debt as a result. The Flats are also in bad
shape as the Council has not made any efforts to
renovate or carry out necessary maintenance.
The residents at the OTS area in Sakubva are
receiving two bills for the same services on a
monthly basis. The bills are labelled A and B but
they indicate the same information although the
amounts differ. Residents have tried to seek
clarification from Council on this issue but to no
avail. Efforts to get comments from the Town
Clerk for Mutare City were fruitless.
Kadoma
Water supply
Residents in Rimuka are now relying on boreholes that
were drilled by some NGOs as the Town Council is
finding it difficult to provide constant water supplies to
the area. However, residents have complained that
even the water from the boreholes is not safe to drink
and there are fears of another cholera outbreak.
One of the Councilors who were present at a public
meeting that was conducted by CHRA Kadoma said
that the acute water shortages were a result of a 24
meter electricity cable that was stolen. The cable
supplied transmitted electric power to Chloe Dam for
pumping water into Kadoma Town. The absence of the
electricity cable has seriously compromised the
Council’s capacity to pump water to residents. Reports
from ZESA have revealed that about US$33 000 is
needed to purchase the cable but the power utility does
not have the money yet. Rio Tinto mining Company
had pledged some money for the purchase of the cable
but nothing had been done at the time of the meeting.
Buhera
ZANU PF youths have been harassing residents and
forcing them to attend the party’s constitutional
meetings. Residents have also said that the party had
selected people who are supposed to speak and make
contributions during the COPAC outreach meetings.
Residents are being warned to support the Kariba Draft
and remain mum during the consultation meetings
except for those that have been selected by ZANU PF.
CHRA is the Secretariat of the National Residents
Associations Consultative Forum (NRACF). The
Association is committed to advocating for good
and transparent local governance as well
lobbying for quality and affordable municipal
services on a non partisan basis.