KEY POINTS
- Harare residents believe that water privatization poses potential risks to public health.
- The public expresses concern that privatization will provide advantages to politically linked elites.
- Lack of public consultation raises concerns over governance and fairness.
The residents of Harare stand firmly against the government-initiated private management of water services since they believe this plan threatens public health while allowing influential elites to exploit common citizens.
Local council management of the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant has sparked a controversy because the government plans to transfer its ownership to private interests.
The Local Government Ministry has argued that privatization is necessary due to local authorities’ failure to manage water services effectively.
However, the Harare Residents Trust (HRT) and the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) consider this decision as a planned strategy that endangers public water access and challenges existing governance structures.
The associations declared that this move amounts to a deliberate method for transferring prime municipal responsibilities, such as water service delivery, to political affiliates.
They advocated for local authorities to maintain authority over managing their regions by making decisions and controlling revenue independently.
“The central government’s push to privatize water services in Harare, including transferring the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant to a private company under the pretext of rehabilitation, amounts to sanctioned theft. The action weakens local authority finances while eroding their capacity to deliver services to the community.” the statement added
Concerns over fairness and transparency in privatization
The Local Government Ministry defended its previous decision by emphasizing that local authorities continuously fail to provide dependable water services. As part of the privatization effort, the ministry plans to introduce 650,000 prepaid water meters in major cities.
However, residents remain skeptical. Past attempts at implementing prepaid water meters in Harare failed, and residents doubt that privatization will boost service delivery beyond helping only a few individuals.
“This raises more questions than answers, leaving uncertainty about whether the goal is to create opportunities for politically connected individuals or to genuinely improve water services,” the residents’ associations said.
According to New Zimabawe, the organizations further argued that the introduction of prepaid meters fails to address underlying governance issues that have long affected water service delivery in Harare.
“Installing prepaid water meters will not address the root governance issues that have undermined water service delivery. Fundamental problems of transparency and accountability within both the City of Harare and the central government must be resolved first,” they added.
The associations warned that privatizing water services could pose serious public health risks by reducing access to clean, affordable water. “This forced privatization of water services poses significant public health risks and endangers human lives,” they stressed.
Criticism over lack of public consultation
The associations denounced Jacob Mafume’s action as he progressed the privatization plan forward without consulting residents and failing to obtain complete council acceptance.
“Regrettably, rather than engaging in a consultative process, the Harare Mayor has taken a leading role in facilitating the takeover of water services without involving citizens or securing full council resolutions,” they said.
A community warning emerged against rushed privatization decisions that lacked proper public participation and municipal approval since it risked both public finance losses and enduring negative health impacts within the community.
They recommended that the government should stop the privatization plan and center their efforts on improving local governance systems plus enhancing transparency while seeking community consultation for all public services decisions.
For now, Harare’s future water supply hangs in the balance, with residents pushing for a solution that prioritizes public welfare over political gain.
