Suburban
Harare North residents, mainly those in Ward 18 in Borrowdale and surrounding suburbs, are seeking intervention from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the City of Harare (CoH) to stop illegal bulk water supply businesses.
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
The residents said a lot of illegal activities were rife in the area due to lack of enforcement by the responsible authorities, the City of Harare and the police.
Most residents especially in Borrowdale do not depend on council tap water and have individual boreholes which they use for domestic purposes.
But some of the residents are into the business of selling bulk water illegally without water permits from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority and the Mazowe Catchment Council.
According to Section 34 of the Water Act, no person is allowed to extract water in bulk for any purpose without a permit. Government prioritises the use of underground water for domestic purposes and the law especially the Water Act is clear concerning water consumption and management.
Last week, Ballantyne Park and Highlands residents wrote a petition to Nyagui Sub Catchment Council and Harare Provincial Development Coordinator Mr Tafadzwa Muguti complaining about one resident extracting water for sale at a residential property against the law.
In a statement this week, the Borrowdale Ratepayers and Residents Association (BRRA) said most bulk water suppliers get their water from illegal water sources (including boreholes) that are not registered.
“These illegal water distributors do not pay any taxes to Government and they sell water from illegal sources which are not tested as required by the Water Act. According to the said Act, boreholes in the Borrowdale area are supposed to be registered with the Nyagui Sub Catchment Council and their water should be tested for human consumption. It is illegal and unlawful to sell water without a permit let alone water which is not even tested.
“Most residential properties in the Borrowdale area are using septic tanks and it is advisable for all boreholes to be registered and tested by the water authorities for one to use the water for human consumption. These illegal activities by bulk water suppliers pose a serious danger to people as they expose the innocent public to water borne diseases.
“Bulk water operations need a water permit for them to sell water to the public. There are many bulk water suppliers registered companies in Harare especially in the Glen Forest area but unfortunately these illegal operators outcompete them by selling water at very low prices. The properly registered companies are deprived of benefits associated with their line of business due to illegal operators. These illegal operators do not pay any Government levies and/or taxes.
“The illegal bulk water trucks also pose a danger to human life as witnessed on 11 September 2020 when one of the trucks was involved in an accident with two young boys who were cycling in a gated community area in Borrowdale. The two young boys died on the spot as witnesses claimed the truck driver was speeding as he was rushing to be first on line to buy water from an illegal borehole source,” the residents’ body said.
Illegal bulk water suppliers were warned against abstracting water from residential areas but the activities of these operators have resurfaced on a larger scale .
Mr Muguti recently warned illegal bulk water suppliers abstracting water from residential areas but the activities of these operators have resurfaced on a larger scale.
Nyagui Sub-Catchment Council recently wrote to Borrowdale Police Station after one of the arrested illegal bulk water trucks was released without following proper procedures.
Some residents reported the matter to Nyagui Sub Catchment Council claiming that certain police officers based at Borrowdale Police Station were conniving with these illegal operators hence the reason they are continuing their activities against the law.
The residents are pleading with Mr Muguti and the police to intervene in the matter.
In their petition which was also addressed to Harare Metropolitan Province Development Coordinator, the residents asked the Government to stop these illegal activities which are affecting their boreholes.
“The continuous extraction of bulk water from certain boreholes illegally in huge volumes affect the water table for the area. Residents in the area share the same water table with these illegal operations and this leads to most boreholes drying up,” the residents body said.
Contacted for comment, Nyagui Sub Catchment Council manager Mr Russel Ndoro confirmed writing a letter to Borrowdale Police Station in response to complaints by Borrowdale residents concerning some members of the police.
“We received complaints from some residents claiming that some Borrowdale police officers are teaming up with illegal bulk water operators thereby promoting the illegal activities in the area,” he said.
Nyagui Sub Catchment Council board member Mr Wilson Mhuri, who represents urban residents in the water council, also confirmed receiving a petition and reports concerning illegal bulk water operations in the northern suburbs.
“As you may be aware, most areas in the northern suburbs depend on borehole water and these illegal activities are hitting residents hard. All boreholes in the area share same water table and these bulk water operations lead to drying up of boreholes in the area,” he said.
“It is important to highlight that according to Government policy, domestic use of water is prioritised as opposed to these commercial activities (bulk water operations). Underground water should also be tested for human consumption and because these illegal operations are not registered, people are exposed to unsafe water. We therefore ask for the intervention of Zimbabwe Republic Police to save lives,” said Mr Mhuri.
