Harare residents cry foul over water bills

In some parts of residential areas like Budiriro, Mufakose, and Glen View, water comes through the taps for a few days a week and residents have to rely on boreholes and shallow wells for day-to-day water usage. In some Harare suburbs, the taps have been dry for years.

To their shock, however, the Harare City Council keeps sending them bills running into thousands of dollars. Civil society organizations (CSOs) charged local authorities for this act.

Speaking at the Harare Water Justice Symposium on Friday in Harare, Combined Harare Residents Association acting director Reuben Akili said residents could not be charged for water they did not use.

“Local authorities cannot claim that residents owe such amounts without a credible billing system. It is also a reality that residents are charged for water not consumed, even houses which were disconnected by the local authority are still charged for water consumption meaning that there is a serious problem in terms of the administration of the local authority.”

The water shortage is also a burden to women and children who are now spending hours of productive time looking for water.

“Women are covering the water supply deficit which is the duty of local authority and even government which is failing to provide. This is evident when we go to different boreholes in communities we see women and children looking for water and that is one of the most critical issues we are seeing as residents.”

Community Water Alliance national co-ordinator Hardlife Mudzingwa also reiterated Akili's concerns.

Harare mayor Jacob Mafume laid the blame on the government's failure to provide chemicals for the treatment of water.

“The problem we are facing is non-revenue water and we are supposed to do our water on a coast recovery basis but we are owed $700 million by Chitungwiza, $630 million by Norton $200 million by Ruwa, Epworth $300 million. The residents of Harare owe us and the government owes us about $17 billion in terms of water. The cumulative water debt is around $45 billion.”