Harare Service Delivery Update

via Service Delivery Update | The Zimbabwean 16 September 2013

Background- the Harare Residents’ Trust (HRT) has consistently provided updates on the state of service delivery in the communities’ bi-weekly. The report captures key service delivery areas of refuse collection, water and electricity supplies. Information contained herein has been provided by community volunteers, community coordinators and ordinary members of the community. In this report the areas covered include Glen View 1, Glen Norah C, Glen Norah A, Specimen, Kuwadzana, Glen N

Water supplies

a. Chisipite- In areas that are on higher ground a dry spell has hit the area in terms of water supply. The areas affected include Hindhead road, Dacomde road and the shopping centre. The people are getting water from the borehole that belongs to Econet Wireless that is stationed near Chisipite Shopping Centre.

b. Letombo Park- For nearly three months now Letombo has not been served with water by the Harare City Council. This is because the water department plumbers have been working to fix a water burst at Letombo Park main gate and they seem to be failing to repair the burst. Residents are surviving from fetching water from the water connection site that is 100 metres away from the Letombo Main gate along Amby. Treated water is lost everyday at this site.

c. Greendale- Athlone area, Kamfinsa area and Greendale North road are receiving water for less than four hours a day.

d. Eastlea- residents from the Peterhead, Rhodesville and Clyde roads were very happy to have water for consecutive two days from 9- 10 September as this is a rare commodity in Eastlea.

e. Highlands –Since last week of August up to today no water has been supplied.

f. Borrowdale/ Mt Pleasant/ Grange- residents in the mentioned suburbs do not have Council water because they are stationed at higher ground. Residents purchase water from companies that supply water for domestic use. This has proved to be more costly to residents and would want the City Council to address the situation as a matter of urgency.

g. Hatfield/ Mainway Meadows and Waterfalls- Consumers that are from the listed suburbs receive Council once per week with an exception of the area around Park Town Shopping centre between 6th avenue and Simon Mazorodze Way which regularly receive water.

h. Msasa Park- This suburb rarely receives water with no trend to follow though at times they are served with Council water. People get their water from those households that have wells or boreholes.

i. Kuwadzana 1 and 2- Water cuts are too frequent with the worst scenario experienced in the first week of September when residents went for more than five days without water. Alternatively, the residents fetch water from a borehole at house number 1139 Kuwadzana 1.

j. Glen Norah A Specimen- It is not consistently supplied with water. Residents are receiving water three days a week on average. The situation is at its worst in areas like Gumbe Street and area close to High Glen road.

k. Glen Norah A Chitubu- No water during the day. Residents usually get water at dawn, daily.

l. Mufakose- From Friday 6 September 2013 to Sunday 8th of September the area surrounding Spar shop had water until Monday 9th of September. However, since Monday water has been trickling in Chiriramhene Street up to Murirachara Street. The water is smelly.

m. Highfield Engineering- Water is supplied during odd hours that are from 12midnight to around 4am every day.

n. Highfield Lusaka- It is being consistently supplied with only those on higher ground disadvantaged as the water trickles because of low pressure.

o. Glen Norah B There was no water from 8th of September to 11th of September, they received water on the 12th of September 2013 around 11 am

2. Refuse collection

a. Highfield Engineering- Collection is scheduled for every Tuesday but this is not being done. The last collection was three weeks ago.

b. Highfield Lusaka- There has been no refuse collection in the suburb since the start of September 2013. Dumps are visible at Lusaka Market along the blocked drain. Refuse collection is scheduled for every Thursday.

c. In Chisipite residents interviewed reported that they are privileged as their refuse is being attended to everyday.

d. Glen Norah A Specimen- Refuse is scheduled to be collected every Wednesday but there has been no refuse collection since the beginning of September. Residents are reported to be dumping refuse at Corner Nungadzi Road, near Zvimba bar, Zuvarabuda at Chembira Community Hall and at Specimen shops along Gumbe.

e. Residents in Letombo Park complained that they had over three weeks without refuse being attended to.

f. Greendale residents complained that refuse used to be collected every Thursday but now on Wednesday, this now being done inconsistently.

g. Glen Norah A Chitubu- garbage heaps are being dumped at Chitubu Shopping Centre as refuse is not being attended to.

h. Highlands- Refuse is being attended to after every fortnight.

i. Borrowdale refuse is scheduled to be collected every Tuesday but this is not being done consistently. Refuse is being attended after at least a fortnight or three weeks. The same situation prevails for Mt Pleasant. It is alleged that the residents are now polluting Umwinsdale as they dump refuse, disadvantaging the aquatic life and creating a conducive environment for breeding of water borne diseases.

j. Mandara – refuse is being collected inconsistently, deviating from the published schedule of Tuesdays. At times it is collected after a fortnight or after three weeks.

k. Mufakose – Refuse collection is supposed to be done every Wednesday but this is not being done consistently resulting in growth of dumpsites at corner Chiriramhene, Jachacha avenue, Cheni Street and at the Shopping Centre

l. Glen Norah B- The refuse is being collected every Monday except for the Monday dated 9 September 2013.

3. Power Supplies

a. Chisipite, Greendale, Letombo Park- load shedding is usually twice a week with power being cut for not more than 6 hours a day. Greendale, Highlands and Letombo Park is load shed daily for at least six hours.

b. Load shedding in Kuwadzana 1 and 2 is from 5am in the morning to 10pm on daily basis.

c. Eastlea- electricity supply has improved with power cuts experienced at least two days a week and usually on Fridays.

d. Mandara- Load shedding is 4 to 6 hours per day.

e. Glen Norah A Chitubu-electricity is being cut approximately for 4-6 hours a day.

f. Mufakose – load shedding is usually six hours long per day.

g. Highfield Engineering- load shedding is not fixed but usually power is cut between 6 to 8 hours a day.

h. Highfield Lusaka- load shedding experienced by the residents is normally between three (3) to six (6) hours a day.

i. Glen Norah A- Specimen- load shedding in Specimen residents go for 6(six) hours a day.

j. Highfield Egypt- Power is being cut for a maximum of six hours every day.

k. Glen Norah B- load shedding has since improved with electricity being cut for less than three hours a day.