2000 household connected

Talent Gore

AT least, 2 000 Hopley households have been connected to piped water by the City of Harare.

Located along Chitungwiza Road, Hopley is among several residential areas, in and around Harare, facing acute water shortages, forcing residents to depend on wells close to the graveyard, as sources of water.

Harare mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, said running water will be available from next week.

“We have connected about 2 000 households to piped water, and the only challenge is that there is no water in the pipes at the moment.

“By next week, water will be flowing freely in those pipes and I will be the first person to drink that water,” he said.

Peter Mutumwa, who has been staying in Hopley since 2008, said people were being forced to buy water from unscrupulous individuals, since they had limited options.

“We buy 20 litres of water for between $1 000 and $1 500, depending on demand.

“It is pointless to ask from which source the water came from because we are in need,” he said.

“I have been here for more than 10 years now and I’m grateful for this initiative because I know it is going to help our cause.”

Hopley settlement is yet to be regularised despite being in existence for more than a decade.

The water crisis has been particularly devastating for women, who spend most of their time fetching water, instead of attending to other chores.

The majority of women in the area rely on vending to supplement their income.

Access to clean water continues to pose headaches for the local Council.

Harare and Chitungwiza have been facing serious water shortages in the past few years largely due to infrastructural decay.

There has been very little water infrastructure upgrade despite the mushrooming of new settlements over the years.