Peter Tanyanyiwa
The Harare City Council will shut down the city’s two main water treatment plants Morton Jaffray and Warren Control waterworks on Friday, (today) to pave way for the installation of new water pumps and routine maintenance work.
In a statement Thursday afternoon, council said normal supplies will resume on Sunday.
“The Harare City Council would like to notify residents and stakeholders that there will be a shutdown at Morton Jaffray and Warren Control waterworks scheduled from 4pm on Friday December 18 up to 4pm Sunday December 20,” reads the statement.
“The shutdown is to enable our contractors to install new water pumps. The department will also be taking advantage of this critical shutdown to undertake other critical outstanding maintenance works.”
The Combined Harare Residents Association recently bemoaned the closure of Morton Jaffray Water Treatment plant by the City of Harare leaving the whole City without water due to failure by (ZimPhos) Chemplex chemicals to supply adequate water treatment chemicals.
CHRA said despite scheduled repairs maintenance at Morton Jaffray the City has big problems that range from water treatment chemicals to availability of the water itself, they also went on to warn the government of the looming health hazard if the water crisis is not addressed.
“CHRA is aware that in September 2019 at a tour at Morton Jaffrey Treatment Plant, the Local Government Minister, Honorable July Moyo gave a directive that the ‘incapacitated’ Chemplex chemicals be the sole supplier of water treatment chemicals to all local authorities,” said CHRA in a statement.
In a letter to the Mayor of Harare dated 21 January 2020, Minister July Moyo declined request by City Officials to purchase water treatment chemicals from other suppliers besides Chemplex Corporation.
The failure by Chemplex Corporation to supply adequate water treatment chemicals has seriously impacted on the residents of Harare in particular women who are enduring long queues at the few water points dotted around the city.
“We warn the government of Zimbabwe that the current status of water supply in the city is a minefield for a serious health crisis as it contributes to the spread of COVID 19 and other waterborne diseases especially this hot season.
“Water is life and any actions that stand in the way to supply water is an attempt to take away lives .The right to water is inseparably connected to the right to life in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. We call upon the Minister to be accountable on his detrimental order that has created a monopoly for Chemplex to be the sole supplier of water treatment chemicals in Zimbabwe.
“We expect the Minister to take decisive action on this matter. The move to monopolize supply of water treatment chemicals for local authorities raises more questions than answers and calls on for a serious interrogation on the owners of Chemplex Corporation.
“We are concerned that the directives by the Minister in the City of Harare have seen the prominence of central government in our local authority which is against the spirit of devolution enshrined in Section 264 of the Constitution on devolution. These directives have seriously impacted on service provision and this Chemplex issue is a clear example,” reads the statement.
The Combined Harare Residents Association is contemplating legal action to challenge the Chemplex monopoly that has seen massive violation of the right to water for Hararians.