Residents urged to pay up

Talent Gore

HARARE City Council is owed $589 billion by businesses, residents and government entities, according to director of water engineering, Phakamile Mabhena Moyo.

He said this indebtedness represents the single biggest reason for the water shortages facing the capital, with some suburbs going for months without water.

The council is also shouldering a debt burden of US$4 billion for water treatment chemicals, as well as being hampered by obsolete machinery and collapsing infrastructure at water treatment plants.

He revealed this at an Indaba organised by the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) under the theme ‘Setting the agenda for collective action towards addressing the Harare water crisis’.

“The residents have the biggest debt, a total of $230 billion while parastatals have the lowest amount, $4 billion.

“The City is facing inadequate supply of water treatment chemicals and also burdened with a debt of US$4 billion for chemicals.

“Some of the challenges we are facing are that Harare City has aged water treatment and transmission infrastructure, which contributes to water production deficits. Areas such as the Avenues, Parirenyatwa and Avondale have old water pipes that need to be replaced.

“The city council attends to pipe bursts, but the whole water transmission system needs to be replaced.”

Council’s revenue manager, Alfred Guni, urged residents to pay their bills whether they are getting water or not.