US embassy cable - 05HARARE786

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000786 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AID FOR DCHA/FFP LANDIS, CRUMBLY, MUTAMBA, PETERSEN 
AID FOR DCHA/OFDA FOR PRATT, KHANDAGLE, 
  HALMRAST-SANCHEZ, GOTTLIEB 
AFR/SA FOR LOKEN, COPSON, DOBBINS 
STATE/AF FOR NEULING 
BRUSSELS FOR PATRICIA LERNER 
PRETORIA FOR, DISKIN, HALE, SINK, REYNOLDS 
NAIROBI FOR SMITH, BROWN 
GABORONE FOR CASHION, BROWN 
ROME FOR FODAG FOR GAST 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, US, ZI, Economic Policy, Humanitarian Situation 
SUBJECT: Zimbabwe's Growing Water Problems 
Threaten Health; Country's Poor 
 
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Summary 
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1.  Zimbabwe's urban infrastructure is raidly 
deteriorating as a result of six consequtive 
years of GOZ economic mismanagement.  The 
supply and distribution of potable water has 
become especially problematic in several 
cities.  There are reports of diarrhea and 
other stomach ailments increasing in affected 
areas.  Repairing the water system would be 
expensive and would require international 
assistance, unlikely given the GOZ's refusal 
to undertake political and economic reforms. 
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's poor continue to bear 
the brunt of their leaders' economic 
mismanagement.  End Summary. 
 
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Urban Water Shortages 
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2.  In April and May 2005, Harare experienced 
acute potable water shortages, with several 
communities experiencing up to four weeks or 
more with no safe drinking water.  Areas most 
affected are the eastern suburbs of Mabvuku, 
Tafara, Greendale, Highlands and Chikurubi. 
Mabvuku and Tafara have gone without 24-hour 
reticulation for up to a year and Zimre Park, 
for example, has gone without water for a 
three-month stretch now.  A recent 
demonstration in Tafara over water issues 
resulted in numerous arrests.  Water shortages 
have also been experienced in other cities and 
municipalities. 
 
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Poor Governance: the Main Factor 
-------------------------------- 
 
3.  Zimbabwe was once renowned for its 
effective water management systems and urban 
infrastructure.  However, the combination of 
age, lack of maintenance, high domestic 
interest rates and growing urbanization have 
placed all systems under tremendous strain.  A 
key factor contributing to the problem is the 
lack of foreign currency to purchase imported 
water purification chemicals and spare parts 
for treatment plants and pumping stations. 
High domestic interest rates have also 
inhibited long-term borrowing needed to 
maintain and expand the water infrastructure. 
 
4.  The central government has also imposed on 
local authorities unrealistically low rates 
for services, which is widely perceived as 
political grandstanding and intended to hamper 
the predominantly opposition-led local 
authorities from being able to effectively 
deliver municipal services.  These imposed low 
rates further prevent the local authorities 
from recovering the cost of services or 
generating funds for necessary maintenance and 
expansion. 
 
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Health Concerns 
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5.  Unsafe water is increasingly cited as the 
reason for growing numbers of outbreaks of 
diarrhea and other stomach ailments.  The 
Director of Health and Environment for Harare 
stated that while cholera and dysentery have 
not appeared in the city water system, scabies 
(a parasitic skin disease), which can be 
attributed to a lack of clean water, has 
spread across the city.  Likewise, water 
experts at the University of Zimbabwe report 
that there is no monitoring of heavy metals 
and that parasites remain a problem in the 
system. 
 
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Comment 
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6.  Water shortages are not unusual in 
Zimbabwe, typically occurring during the 
hotter months of September to November. 
However, the fact that these problems are 
surfacing earlier than normal is particularly 
troubling and bodes ill for the immediate 
future.  The cost of repairing the country's 
infrastructure would run into millions of U.S. 
dollars -- Harare alone needs a massive 
upgrading of its entire water distribution 
system.  Without international assistance this 
won't happen, and that in turn requires 
political and economic reforms the government 
is not prepared to undertake.  In the 
meantime, the poorest of Zimbabwe's poor will 
continue to suffer from their government's 
failings. 
 
SCHULTZ 
 
\  DELL