Efforts to curb the spread of cholera in Harare are under threat after a power cut on Monday this week affected the city’s main water supply treatment plant, Morton Jaffray, NewsDay has learnt.
The power outage affected pumping and supplies, leaving many parts of the city without water.
Council spokesperson Stanley Gama last night said power was restored at the waterworks yesterday.
“Power was restored at Morton Jaffray around 5:30pm today and limited pumping of water into the city will resume in the next three hours.”
He said some high-density areas and the city centre were expected to start receiving water last night.
“A minor technical situation arose at the plant transformer when power was restored. Engineers from both the City of Harare and Zesa are working it and we expect to resume maximum pumping by tomorrow morning (today).”
Harare has declared a state of emergency over the cholera outbreak which has spread throughout the city.
This comes as cholera cases are surging with Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Jenfan Muswere saying more than 1 200 cases had been recorded between November 9 and 15, with Harare leading with the number of cases.
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“During the period November 9, 2023 to November 15, 2023, there were 1 259 new suspected cholera cases reported compared to 437 reported the previous week,” Muswere said in a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday.
“Goromonzi, Mudzi, Mutasa and Mutoko are the new districts that reported cases during this period. The highest number of cholera cases during this period were from Harare (323); Chitungwiza (206) and Buhera (68).”
He said in response to the cholera challenges, government had procured medicines.
Muswere said deliveries of medicines and commodities to NatPharm started on November 7 and redistribution to provinces and districts had started.
“Regarding water and sanitation, point of use water treatment chemicals are being distributed in the affected households,” he said.
Muswere said government had intervened to assist Harare City Council, which is failing to provide water and sanitation facilities and were maintaining council water bowsers.
