Published by the government of Zimbabwe
31 October 2008
editorial
Harare — WE note with grave concern the deterioration of service delivery in Harare at a time the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare has issued several cholera alerts with hardly any movement at Town House.
What disturbs us even more is the apparent indifference by the city fathers among who is a mayor and councillors who pledged to work for the city but who are carrying on as if everything is normal.
Already one person has died in Budiriro and 20 others drawn from Dzivaresekwa, Highfield, Budiriro, Chikurubi, Mbare, Glen Norah and Glen View have been hospitalised at Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospitals following the outbreak of cholera in several southern suburbs.
A total of 27 people have died of cholera in Chitungwiza, Chinhoyi and Kariba since the disease resurfaced two months ago. It comes as no surprise to us that the cholera outbreak has followed the southern belt given the critical shortage of water, mounds of festering garbage, and streams of raw sewage that criss-cross many a high-density suburb street.
Over the past six weeks, the streets in the Central Business District and its environs have not been cleaned after council failed to provide protective clothing to workers in the Waste Management Department. Public toilets are not being cleaned, ostensibly due to shortage of chemicals and rubbish has not been collected in several suburbs.
A visitor to Harare would be shocked to know that there is a 46-member strong elected council in Harare, some of whose members have just returned from a needless foreign-currency guzzling foreign trip.
This is not what the voter and ratepayer expects of the councillors they elected and a mayor on whom they pinned so much hope.
What has happened to all the glittering election promises?
Several council meetings have been convened and many progressive resolutions made on turning around the affairs of the city. It is shocking that the office of the Town Clerk, which should oversee implementation, has not moved to implement the resolutions, some of which were left in the tray by the previous commissions.
The powers that be at Town House must know that they were not forced into office, but were elected to office pledging to work for the same people they have apparently forgotten.
Equally disturbing are reports that there may be a political dimension to the lethargy at Town House, where some people were apparently waiting for the envisaged inclusive government to spring into action.
We hope those reports are wrong because an elected council represents people across the divide. It should never be held hostage by people wishing to score cheap political points.
What is more, World Cup 2010 is around the corner. Is this the city we want foreign visitors to see should they decide to camp in Harare?
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Katz, you are absolutely right the problem of cholera in Zimbabwe is due to chemical shortages to treat drinking water and sewage in Zimbabwe. President Mugabe has failed to procure chemicals from abroad and blocs those NGO and international agencies who would help.
This limited information from the Herald newspaper, a government paper, indicates that Zimbabwe is clearly in deep problems. The Herald is only scratching the surface, due to censorship. This yet again is a remind that the people of Zimbabwe are suffering and each day is a struggle for survival.
Mugabe must be removed from power ASAP,… [Read Full Text]
Kazt and Phiri, You are both right that the problem of water in Harare, and indeed the whole country is as a result of shortage of chemicals. However, you are absolutely wrong on the cause of this shortage. Tsvangirai, first and foremost, is to blame for the shortage of forex which could have been used to buy chemicals.
He is the one who called for sanctions and these sanctions are the ones which have resulted in us being unable to secure enough forex for all the needs of the country and not only chemicals. Had he not called for sanctions,… [Read Full Text]
Up to 51 now Takunya, keep up the good work!
Please ignore any comments from Takunya and Comical Mabhiza. The more irrational nonsense they speak, the longer the list grows and the clearer it becomes how idiotic they are. Here are some facts (and you cant argue with facts!) why..
1) Takunya and Comical Mabhiza work for the Herald, are paid by the ZANU PF to spread propaganda and lies, and to twist the truth in the ZANU PF's favor on the internet.
2) Takunya and Comical Mabhiza are one and the same person.
3) Takunya and Comical Mabhiza have… [Read Full Text]
Takunya, Tsvangirai is not the President of Zimbabwe. Why not put the blame on the current illegal President Robert Mugabe!
Takunya, for a change have a HEART for the millions of Zimbabweans now facing starvation, disease, HIV/AIDS (without medicine). Life has gotten a lot worse. Look around Zimbabwe...Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia and Angola all have changed their liberation hero Presidentsw. For the most part our neigbors are doing fine, without them. Zimbabwe will do fine without Mugabe or Zanu-pf in power.
Mugabe is seriously brain washing you.....
Phiri, I am fully conscious of the suffering that the people of Zimbabwe (I included) are going through and this is why I have taken it upon myself (at great risk to my life from thugs in the MDC) to inform Zimbabweans of where their suffering is emanating from.
Zimbabweans are fully aware of the fact that Tsvangirai has fought tooth and nails in protecting the interests of imperialists. Today they also can see him swinging with McGee while they suffer under the sanctions that he called for. They also have seen and read McGee's interviews and articles where upon… [Read Full Text]
Takunya, you are too pre-occupied with the western world and what the US ambassodor is doing in Harare. The truth of the matter is the western world is now supplying the bulk of humanitarian supplies in Zimbabwe. Even, when the Zimbabwe gov't is blocking aid to the need in Zimbabwe.
Takunya, you fail to acknowledge, like Robert Mugabe, that Tsvangirai won the first real democratically held elections in Zimbabwe. Your comment that Mugabe is a legimate president is your own illusion. The truth is Mugabe is an elligitimate leader of Zimbabwe.
Even I have had misgiving's about Tsvangirai, but the… [Read Full Text]
Phiri, You seem to be a confused cockroach. You cannot distiguish between providing humanitarian supplies and the desire by imperialists to remain in control of our resources and to remain drivers of our economy. You also are confusing food supplied by churches with the desire by Britain and America to keep us under subjugation. Churches are GOD's institutions and should never be confused with imperialists and should also never be classified as western, eastern, northern, southern or central because of their location or origin.
When they supply food to any part of the world, churches are not doing so… [Read Full Text]
See all comments (12).
This is childish. Cholera is spreading throughout the country thanks to the collapse of health services and untreated water is the only option after Zinwa took the delivery of water out of the hands of local government. Now Mugabe's mouthpiece suggests that the fault lies with the local mayor and not central goverment. Thankfully the electorate is far too intelligent to not see through such immature politics.