Kudzai Kuwaza
27 September 2008
A top official of the Harare City Council says the council will soon regain control of water management from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
Harare deputy mayor Emmanuel Chiroto told The Standard that meetings held between the Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural development, Walter Mzembi, and the city council had indicated that water management would be returned to the council.
Chiroto said that Zinwa had admitted that it was incapable of running water management for the city. The takeover of water management by Zinwa has resulted in a serious water crisis in Harare where cholera deaths have been recorded.
"We are expecting to take control of water management as soon as the formation of the Cabinet is finalised," Chiroto said.
However, Mzembi denied ever discussing giving water management control to the city council with Chiroto.
"The mayor (Muchadeyi Masunda) and I discussed a broad range of issues but we never discussed the reversal of the mandate of Zinwa," he said.
Mzembi added that Chiroto was not at the meeting and the only two people who could speak truthfully about what was discussed in the meeting was him and Masunda. The mayor could not be reached for comment.
Zinwa spokesperson Memory Kanyanda said that the water authority was not aware of any such development.
"We do not know about that. We are hearing it for the first time from you," she said.
Chiroto said the council would soon conduct an audit into council property which he said was looted during what he called the chaotic transfer of water management to Zinwa.
Chiroto said the audit would also take stock of its human resources claiming that some of its employees had been drawing salaries from both Zinwa and the city council during the confusion.
"We will begin an audit of what went to Zinwa from the council during the takeover. We need that information. Heads will roll definitely. It is not going to be business as usual at Town House," Chiroto said.
He however pointed out that the delay in putting together Cabinet had serious repercussions for the council's operations.
"The budgeting process for the council is at a standstill because of the serious delay in the formation of Cabinet. It is going to affect our consultation process for the budget. Ministries need to be allocated so that we can effectively address the plight of our workers as well as the residents," he said.
Chiroto said the council faced numerous problems because they had inherited an authority that was bankrupt. The workforce was disgruntled and some were resorting to moonlighting to supplement their meagre incomes.
He said the lack of equipment had reached alarming proportions. Chiroto painted a grim picture of the state of affairs. He said sweepers were resorting to sweeping pavements with tree branches while gravediggers asked for picks and shovels from mourners.
He said councillors had not received any transport allowance since occupying office, forcing them to fund council activities from their own pockets.
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