Glen Norah residents in water demo

GLEN NORAH residents yesterday demonstrated against the City of Harare’s arbitrary water disconnections saying it was posing a health hazard in the high density suburb.

The suburb receives water twice a week.

Speaking during the demonstration, Community Water Alliance programmes manager Mr Hardlife Mudzingwa said it was every person’s right to clean, safe and potable water as provided in the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

“Residents of Harare are complaining about the water quality. They are receiving dirty water and this leads to the outbreak of typhoid. Zimbabwe has ratified the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General comment 15 provides that “the human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically and affordable water for personal and domestic uses,” he said.

Mr Mudzingwa castigated the wanton water disconnection.

He said residents were also unhappy with debt collectors Well-cash.

“Well- cash debt collectors are violating Sections 8 and 9 of the Legal Practitioners Act. We are also not happy about City of Harare’s budget proposal to increase water tariffs from 0,25c to 0,75c per cubic meter for postpaid water meters, which is 150 percent increase and increase from 0,25c to $1,20c per cubic meter,” said Mr Mudzingwa.

Combined Harare Residents Association programmes Officer Mr Reuben Akili said: “We are complaining because of the dirty water we are receiving from the council and this stirs anger in us. We are saying City of Harare must take issue of water as important so as to avoid these perennial problems.”