RBZ Agrees to Provide Forex to Harare City

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has agreed to provide Harare City Council (HCC) with foreign currency to buy water treatment chemicals to improve the potable water supply in the capital.

This came after a meeting on the water situation which was held last week between RBZ and HCC where RBZ governor John Mangudya was present.

RBZ also agreed to provide foreign currency to import 15 service delivery vehicles from South Africa, said Harare mayor Jacob Mafume. He is quoted as saying:

We met RBZ authorities last week and we agreed to find a lasting solution on the issue of water in our city. The RBZ agreed to provide us with the much-needed foreign currency so that we can buy the water chemicals for treatment of water. Once we have the figure, we will announce the development.

We are happy that the RBZ has agreed to meet some of our challenges. We also await 15 service delivery trucks which are outside the country because the contractor was affected by the foreign currency challenges, and has been failing to get the required currency. The contractor needs at least US$1,2 million dollars to import the trucks.

In a statement earlier published , the local government authority said it had resolved to start rationing water citing challenges in water production.

Some suburbs are going for weeks, months even, without water exposing residents to diseases.