Water runs dry:HCC to blame as SA Nanotech laments
Harare – The commission inquiring into the affairs at Harare City council on Wednesday heard from Nanotech, a South African company aiming to supply clean water that the finance director, Godfrey Kusangaya has been blocking it’s efforts to supply clean water to the capital.
Nanotech, a South African based company won a US$5.3 million tender to set up equipment and machinery to treat water from the polluted Lake Chivero at Morton Jeffrays water works in Norton.
Benson Mukombo, the Nanotech representative in Zimbabwe told the commission that City of Harare finance director, Godfrey Kusangaya has been leading efforts to block the company from implementing the project.
“He (Godfrey Kusangaya) is so defiant. He is a problem,” Benson Mukombo, the representative of Nanotech in Zimbabwe told the commission.
Mukombo said council management was “all in agreement except for Mr Kusangaya. (He ) wants the status quo to remain. He doesn’t want us to showcase our technology because he knows once we start we would be irresistible.”
“We are promising W.H.O (World Health Organisation) compliant water, world class water,” he said.
Mukombo invited the commission to inspect the equipment they have installed at Morton Jeffrey’s water works near Norton for them to understand the pilot project that the company is trying to run for the benefit of the city of Harare.
The city of Harare has paid one million US dollars initially but the amount falls short for the project to take thereby securing clean water supply for Harare.
Mukombo pleaded with the commission to have their three month project to supply water to be given a chance.
He said his company’s aim is to bring back the good old days where Harare water will be safe to drink direct from the tap.
“We want to have a situation where people will drink from glass jars and do away with bottled water,” Mukombo said.
Zimbabwe has been battling water borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid with dozens dying everytime there is an outbreak.
The health ministry recently declared that a cholera outbreak that hit the country in the past months has ended as there were no new cases that were reported in the past weeks.
