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Remember Deketeke, Herald Correspondent

Residents have told Harare City Council to stop blaming ratepayers for its failure to provide essential services, but instead work towards addressing corruption in the local authority.

This came out yesterday when the Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province Charles Tavengwa led stakeholders who included residents associations and council officials on a tour of Morton Jaffray water treatment plant.

“Council is constantly blaming ratepayers for things they are supposed to be doing,” said Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust chairman Mr Shalvar Chikomba.

“Despite us paying our rates, what has been done to ensure that our water pipes are upgraded?”

Minister Tavengwa said the tour was aimed finding ways to mitigate the current water crisis.

“This tour comes after an outcry from residents over the water crisis in different suburbs in the capital. The issue of water has been topical in the capital with council calling for help from the central Government to help address the issue.”

Minister Tavengwa said people needed reassurance from council that tap water was safe to drink.

“During the early days of the operationalisation of the Morton Jaffray water treatment plant, Government and council officials used to drink from the plant to demonstrate that the water here was safe to drink.”

Harare mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said lack of funds had resulted in council failing to address the water crisis.

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“Currently, we are being owed by many entities so to buy import chemicals becomes a hard task,” he said.

Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Charles Tavengwa (right) , his permanent secretary Cosmas Chiringa ( third from right) , Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust Chairman Mr Shalvar Chikomba ( second from right) and other delagates being shown the places by one of the seniour Morton Jeffrey workers during the tour of Morton Jefferys Water Works in Norton yersterday.- Picture:Charles Muchakagara.