Harare, Zimbabwe – For years, the capital of this country has unloaded wastewater in its main water supply. Then, the city began to invoice to purify the water – a cost which, according to the inhabitants, eats up to a fifth of their income. The water they receive is not even clean.
Now the municipal council can privatize the water system. In January, Daniel Garwe, the Minister of Local Government, announced that the government had invited local and international companies to submit proposals. The change could lead to higher water bills.
Junior Buta says that it spends about 20% of its monthly income on what the city says it is purified water. The offer is sporadic, available every three to four days. When green water arrives, it smells.
“We use it to water our gardens, and once the water has endeavored, we collect it in our bowls,” she says. “Even after sitting for a day, we always notice that the visible dirt cutting out at the bottom.”
This water comes from Lake Chivero, which has been the main water supply of the city for more than seven decades. The inhabitants say that for years, the city throws raw and semi-talented wastewater in the lake and the rivers which feed it.
Jacob Mafume, the mayor of Harare, does not deny it. He calls the city government “one of the culprits” because it does not have an adequate sewer infrastructure or the resources to upgrade it. But he also blamed other industries and companies for their waste provision.
Lake Chivero is now classified among the 10 most polluted lakes in the globe. The depth of the lake increased from 28 meters (92 feet) to only 18 meters (59 feet) due to the accumulation of sediments, partly of the pollution. The problem reached a tilting point in December 2024, when four rhinos, as well as thousands of fish and other wild animals, died because of cyanobacteria in the water. In 2023, a survey on the World Press Review found dangerous contaminants in Harare water.
The city spends between $ 2.5 million and 3 million US dollars each month to purify water – efforts far from effective.
“The cost seems excessive for dirty water and inconsistently,” explains Buta.
Mafume recognizes that Harare residents will pay more if the water services are privatized, but he says that this decision will lead to an improvement in the quality and supply of water.
In January, the government has teamed up with Hangzhou Laisson Tech, a company belonging to Chinese, through the local Helcraw Electrical partner, to build a water treatment plant.
But Harare’s resident Aaron Kagande, like many other residents, is skeptical about the agreement. “We don’t know if it is done in good faith,” he says. “Maybe it’s just a way to fuel corruption.”
He underlines his experience with electricity. Residents must pay from the start for a service that may not come. If the supply of water is privatized, he says, they can face the same situation.
South Africa, Zambia and Ghana have experienced the privatization of water supply. In some cases, he did not keep his promises.
In South Africa, the privatization of water services in Johannesburg has led to higher costs and problems of access to low -income communities, which led to generalized demonstrations. When Zambia has privatized the Lusaka Water and Egggalide Company, it has resulted in service disturbances and an increase in prices, exacerbating inequalities in water access.
The whole is a copy of the Harare government, explains Rueben Akili, director of the Harare Trust residents. Changing responsibilities such as water management towards private companies undermines responsibility, he says.
Meanwhile, Buta dares not to drink water from her taps. She recovers her drinking water from neighbors who have installed boreholes – at a cost of $ 1 US for three buckets.
“I drank for the last time in Harare City Water in 2008 during a huge cholera epidemic,” she said. “Since then, I have heard many diarrhea reports from those who consumed it.”
But the drilling water is not sure either. In 2024, the Natural Environment Research Council analyzed 21 drilling in Harare and found disturbing levels of contaminants.
There is a simple answer to all of this, says Buta. “The most effective solution lies in the prevention of pollution in our local water sources.”
