Harare gets US$100m for water

Harare.
Before the city draws the funding it needs to advertise its intention to borrow and secure the approval of ratepayers and voters.
The city’s finance committee met yesterday to approve the loan and to allow management to apply to Government for borrowing powers as well as advertise to seek approval from ratepayers and voters.
The loan with an interest rate of 8 percent per annum would be retired over 10 years with a repayment plan of US$1,2 million every month.
The loan is expected to increase water production by 130 mega litres a day and to ensure that the sewer plants and Firle and Crowborough are able to treat up to 154 mega litres of sewer a day.
City revenue from water sells will increase to about US$10 million while residents will enjoy actual water meter readings with the installation of 45 000 new water meters.
A pilot project to install the meters is on in Mabvuku and Tafara.
A report by finance director Mr Misheck Mubvumbi to the finance committee details the procedures to be followed which are making the information available to ratepayers and voters.
When there are no objections, “an application will be made to the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development . . . for authority to borrow the sum of US$100 million”.
Chairman of the finance committee Clr Friday Muleya, confirmed council had secured the DBSA loan.
He said US$94 million was dedicated for water and sewer while US$6 million would go towards the amenities department for the procurement of refuse collection equipment.
“We hope with this huge funding water problems would be eradicated. We are happy that something is now happening,” he said.
The city has also secured another US$144 million from China but the funds are yet to be disbursed.
This implies that should all the water funds be available, the city would be in a capacity to recycle all its wastewater and plug all water loses.
Harare loses up to 40 percent of treated water on its 6 000km water reticulation pipeline.
Only 40 percent of Harare residents have access to safe drinking water everyday while 30 percent have access to safe water for three to five days a week.
Twenty percent enjoy water availability for between one and two days while 10 percent rely on boreholes and unprotected wells.
Harare has over three million residents but supplies water to 4,5 million people including those in Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Epworth and Norton.
The extent of water problems in Harare were shown in 2008 to 2009 when a cholera outbreak claimed 400 lives with over 100 000 cases of cholera recorded.
At the moment the city is besieged with a typhoid outbreak with over 2 800 suspected cases reported as of February 16.
Sixteen cases were confirmed as typhoid with two recorded deaths.