Story by Panashe Nagoli
GOVERNMENT has begun rehabilitating the Morton Jaffray Waterworks in Norton, which will result in the facility doubling its water production capacity from the current 300 mega-litres per day.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, said the rehabilitation works were prioritised following directives from President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“We realise that water is a universal right and after realising that the local authority was facing difficulties, the President directed us to rehabilitate the Morton Jaffray Plant and works have already started.”
For decades, Harare had endured a constrained water supply, owing to a number of factors, including an ageing water distribution network, but chief among them was the dilapidation of the Morton Jaffray Waterworks, which had led to an approximately 50 percent reduction in daily water production from an average of 600 megalitres.
Government has now intensified efforts to ensure a reliable water supply for the capital through the rehabilitation of the plant, under a public-private partnership between the City of Harare and Helcraw Water.
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said the partnership is key to unlocking the funding and technical expertise required for the project.
“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, through Helcraw Water, our partner, has invested huge amounts of money to ensure that the plant is upgraded and the capacity will be increased.”
The full-scale revival and rehabilitation of Morton Jaffray forms part of the broader Harare Water Project ecosystem, which has already seen the roll-out of over 40 000 smart water prepaid meters curbing the estimated billing system.
In addition, over 60 kilometres of the water distribution network have been covered, replacing the old asbestos pipes with durable PVC pipes.
“We have started with the purifiers and clarifiers, and for now, we are looking forward to the boilers, which take approximately six months to install, and they will come from China. Capacity will be increased by over 50 percent,” Mechanical Services Engineer for the City of Harare, Engineer Lovejoy Denhere noted.
Helcraw Water Chairperson, Mr Farai Jere, said the project is being implemented in phases and is expected to be completed within five years.
“This is a huge project and we are rolling it out in phases. It is expected to be finished fully in the next five years and will cost billions of dollars. Currently, we are focusing on three major issues: the prepaid meters, replacing pipes and rehabilitating Morton Jaffray.”
Apart from the smart water prepaid meters, replacement of the old water distribution network and the rehabilitation of the Morton Jaffray Plant, the initiative has also created employment for thousands of Zimbabweans and under the Second Republic, public-private partnerships are central in achieving the 10 pillars of the
