By Ngoni Clayton Marutsi
The scarcity of foreign currency is grossly affecting the Harare City Council operations resulting in the local authority with no option other than to reduce water supply to residents. The water treatment chemicals suppliers are charging in USD dollars and Council has not received any USD allocation for water treatment from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
Urban Councils’ Association of Zimbabwe last week revealed that the local authorities are struggling to procure water chemicals as local suppliers demand payment in foreign currency.
This came after Harare City Council had said it was reducing the volume of water supply to residents due to purification chemicals shortages in the country.
Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba said, “Our team has been on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) door each morning from the day we discovered we need forex and the situation has been made worse by suppliers who are now demanding payment upfront”.
The situation is terrible and has raised alarms to residents who feel they will be exposed to waterborne diseases.
A worried Cranbourne residents said, “Here in Cranbourne we don’t have water and it has been long, city council should take action and tell us when we will see water running on our tapes.”
Concerned Dzivarasekwa resident said, “Its two weeks now without water. Do they want us to witness another cholera or typhoid outbreak?”
Zimbabwe is still recovering from a cholera epidemic that hit the country in September this year and was largely linked to insufficient safe water supplies, which led people to use contaminated wells and boreholes.
