Story by Theophilus Chuma
Harare water treatment and provision services are heading for massive transformation under a private-public initiative sealed between Harare City Council and private players this Thursday.
The arrangement is expected to provide relief to the perennial water challenges that have haunted the capital city for years.
The new scope of arrangement for service delivery in Harare, culminating in a new water treatment plant for the capital city as well as the provision of smart metering, forms part of the strategies being implemented to enhance service delivery in local authorities.
Early this week, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works announced a green light for private players to participate in service delivery in local authorities.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed between Harare City Council and private players this Thursday signals the start of a new chapter for the capital.
“We have said that our focus is to see improvement in service delivery within local authorities. The arrangement between Harare City Council, Helcrow and Laison will cover water purification, the construction of a treatment plant as well as the provision of smart metering. This falls in line with our vision to improve service delivery in Harare,” said the Minister of Local Government and Public Works Honourable Daniel Garwe
The new arrangement is expected to reduce Harare’s water purification bill running into several millions of dollars annually.
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said, “The net effect is that all the money that we were using to purify water will be directed for other service use. What we anticipate is that when we reduce the loss of non-revenue water and reduce leakages, we increase our revenue collection, it will reduce the cost per head, and generally it will make it a bit more efficient than what we were having. We hope that we will get more water for the money we have been using.”
Implementing partners, Helcrow Private Limited and Laison Technology Company, are confident the deal will enhance the provision of reliable and portable water services for the capital city.
“We are committed to alleviating the water challenges facing Harare. We are excited to construct a new water treatment plant in Harare. It’s an effort to provide something sustainable,” Helcrow Private Limited’s group CEO Mr Brendon Jere said.
“We appreciate this opportunity. We have targeted to improve metering and hope to make this project a benchmark experience for the capital city and within the Southern African region,” added Laison Technology Company’s deputy managing director, Mr Clark DAI.
In 2023, President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched a ‘Call to Action’ initiative for local authorities to improve service delivery and give ratepayers value for their money.
