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NewsDay

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Residents drink from Mukuvisi

News
Western suburbs in Harare have been going without water for the past four days, forcing some residents to use contaminated water from Mukuvisi River.

Western suburbs in Harare have been going without water for the past four days, forcing some residents to use contaminated water from Mukuvisi River.

Report by Kupakwashe Makonye The crisis followed a burst water pipe at the corner of Harare Drive and Gleneagles Road in Southerton where water was gushing out, cutting off Highfield, Southerton, Mbare and Glen Norah, among others. However, Harare City Council yesterday attributed the water crisis to routine maintenance work at Morton Jaffray Waterworks — the capital’s main water treatment plant.

  Council spokesperson Leslie Gwindi said: “The issue of water is being addressed as there is routine maintenance taking place at Morton Jaffray Waterworks.”

  Some residents interviewed by NewsDay in Mbare yesterday expressed fear the crisis could trigger a disease outbreak as they were drawing water from unprotected wells and Mukuvisi River.

  “We have no option except to use this Mukuvisi water for domestic purposes. We only have 26 toilets being used by more than a hundred families and there is no water,” said a resident who declined to be named.

  Another resident, Tommy Mateso, said: “The city council is not taking up our complaints as they were supposed to solve the problem a long time ago. The toilets are in a mess and we only have one borehole which is being manipulated by those who have ‘takeaways’ for business. Something should be done before we face another cholera outbreak.”

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