Harare Water Crisis Spirals Out of Control, Mayor Appeals for Help

Harare mayor Jacob Mafume has appealed to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for urgent intervention in the city's worsening water crisis. In a letter to the chief secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mafume warned that the situation poses an "imminent threat to public health" and requires action "at the highest level".

The contamination of Lake Chivero and failure of critical infrastructure have overwhelmed the municipality's capacity. The long-delayed Kunzvi Dam project, conceived in the 1970s, is meant to supplement Harare's water supply but has stalled due to funding issues.

Mafume emphasized that the crisis necessitates presidential intervention to bypass bureaucratic delays and enable a coordinated response. "The gravity of this crisis requires action beyond normal administrative processes," he wrote.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Edith Opperman project launch, Mafume defended his decision to write to the president, saying there's "no harm in asking my boss for help". He cited the need for national intervention in projects like the Kunzvi Dam and Morton Jaffray water treatment plant.