Sex for water as crisis deepens in Zim

• Precious liquid scarcity worsens
• Water delivery business thrives
• Rise in waterborne diseases
• Govt, councils clueless

By Kundai Marunya
Entrepreneurs are racking in huge profits from water delivery services as temperatures continue to soar in Zimbabwe coupled with low water levels and deplorable service delivery.

A combination of successive droughts that have seen water levels drastically drop in dams, which are the main water sources, corruption, and mismanagement in various town and city councils, has brought untold suffering on the general populace.

Most town and city fathers around Zimbabwe have admitted that they are clueless on how to solve the water crisis.

This has resulted in perennial outbreaks of waterborne diseases including cholera and typhoid.

Bulawayo is currently experiencing a diarrhoea outbreak with 2 600 cases recorded since June while in Harare’s Budiriro suburb, suspected cases of typhoid have been recorded at local health centres.

Access to clean water, one of the basic human rights, has grown to become a major challenge in recent years, to the extent that the affluent in urban Zimbabwe have dug up wells and drilled boreholes in their backyards.
Most of the private boreholes are, however, drying up as ground water levels continue to drop due to climate change.

Cleanliness of borehole and well water remains questionable with a number of tests conducted or commissioned by different organisations pointing to contamination in different areas.

This is mainly because one is confined to drill only in their premises which sometimes do not have the best quality underground water. This may be due to licking sewer pipes or septic tanks.

In Ushewokunze, Harare South, some have even dug up wells close to the graveyard thus using contaminated ground water especially during the rainy season.

In areas like Norton, a dormitory town of Harare, residents have gone for over three months without running water while some areas like Maridale have not received council water since their inception some 20 years ago.

With some urban areas going for close to two decades without running water, while some receive intermittent services, mostly during the rainy season due to water rationing, quality is not the biggest concern for residents but just the availability.

Residents and corporates alike are left with no option but to buy water from different delivery services despite paying their bills to local authorities.

A local company that supplies bulk water in Harare and surrounding areas is racking in at least U$800 per day.

“We have a fleet of five trucks serving different areas around the city,” said Amanzi Deliveries’ director Nyasha Manjoro.

“We charge between US$25 toUS$30 per delivery of 2 500 litres while 5000litres costs between US$35 to US$40 depending on the distance”.

The company sources borehole water from around the city and delivers it to clients most of whom get a regular weekly delivery.

“We have two boreholes but they are not enough to serve our growing clientele so we sometimes buy from other borehole owners,” said Manjoro.
Most of Amanzi Deliveries’ business comes in the dry season when most of the boreholes have dried up. Though they are enjoying good profits, Manjoro decries growing competition.

Even big companies have jumped on board to get a slice of the profits. The growth of bulk water delivery services has seen regulatory body ZINWA imposing registration on those in business.

Registered companies will appear on Zinwa’s directory.

It must be noted that not all urban residencies can afford bulk water delivery thus finding solace in small players who supply from 20-litre containers going up to 200 litres or more.

Most of these players are locally based thus they use wheel-barrows, push carts and pick-up trucks to deliver.

“I charge 50 cents for a 20litre container and US$4 for a 200 litre container,” said Chitungwiza resident Tawanda Mutyoro.

“My clients are usually local residents who find it hard to get water”.
It is hard for most residents to access water at UNICEF drilled community boreholes in many urban centres as touts have taken over.

They cause commotion making it close to impossible for one to access water without bribing them. This has seen residents opting for water deliveries.
Some go on to buy from the affluent in their communities who have deep enough boreholes to supply excess water. Nhau/Indaba