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city’s water woes continued with water shortages in western suburbs forcing schools and clinics to close.
The workers said they took their case to Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo.
Harare Municipal Workers Union chairperson, Mr Cosmas Bungu, said they wanted to urgently meet with Minister Chombo because the committee Government set last week “failed to facilitate negotiations”.
“We appreciate Minister Chombo’s efforts and since he is the one who suggested this arrangement last week, we feel we have to go back to him,” said Mr Bungu. “If the Minister fails, then we will have no option but to go back on strike.”
Minister Chombo confirmed workers were back at work while negotiations continued.
This was the second strike by the workers in as many weeks.
The city’s residents, who have been without water for more than three days, resorted to shallow and unprotected wells for water and bushes to relieve themselves.
Some could be seen washing dishes along the Mukuvisi River, which is infested with sewage.
Harare’s satellite towns have also been affected.
Council officials attributed the water shortages to a burst pipe at Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant, which resulted in reduced pumping to the main water control and reservoirs that feed mostly western suburbs.
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Health experts fear disease outbreaks as the areas affected are the ones which bore the brunt of the 2008-09 cholera outbreak that left more than 4 000 people dead countrywide.
Suburbs mainly affected are Glen Norah, Highfield, Budiriro and Glen View. At Infill Primary School in Glen Norah, officials had no option but to send pupils back home as there was no water at the school.
“We have pupils who are young and those in Grade Zero and you cannot keep them at premises where there is no water,” said a teacher who refused to identified for professional reasons.
“We thought the situation would be addressed urgently but as it stands there is still no solution to the crisis.”
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Most boreholes drilled by Unicef in the high density areas as a response to the 2008 cholera outbreak are dysfunctional owing to lack of maintenance and repair.
Interviewed residents demanded audience with council management.
“We risk being mugged when we start looking for water very early in the morning,” said Mr Calvin Moyo of Glen View.
Online Reporter