The Harare City Council (HCC) is under fire for wasting millions of dollars on water treatment chemicals, despite an existing contract with a South African supplier.
Recent revelations suggest the council has been spending an unnecessary USD 300,000 per month on third-party chemicals, even though it already has a deal in place with Nanotech Water Solutions, a South African company that was paid USD 1 million in 2022 to provide the necessary chemicals.
This avoidable expense, which could amount to as much as USD 3.6 million annually, has drawn widespread criticism, particularly because HCC’s contractual obligations with Nanotech appear to have been ignored. Nanotech initially signed a USD 5.4 million contract with HCC in 2019 but has since taken legal action against the council over its refusal to honor the agreement.
Internal council documents suggest that officials have been mismanaging public funds, opting to purchase chemicals from alternative suppliers despite having a fully functional agreement with Nanotech. The council’s actions have sparked concerns that taxpayers’ money is being squandered on unnecessary expenses.
Nanotech has signaled its intention to pursue legal recourse for the council’s refusal to honor the contract, demanding payment for the outstanding amount of USD 3 million. The Zimbabwe Independent has learned that HCC continues to spend over USD 300,000 per month on chemicals from other suppliers, a situation that could have been avoided if the contract with Nanotech had been fulfilled.
The ongoing water treatment project has become one of the focal points of an inquiry launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier this year to investigate the state of governance within Harare’s city administration. The inquiry has highlighted deep-rooted mismanagement and corruption within the council, with the water treatment contract emerging as a particularly contentious issue.
Harare residents, many of whom have been forced to rely on boreholes for water, have expressed outrage over the council’s failure to adequately address the city’s water supply crisis. The council’s reliance on third-party chemical suppliers has compounded the problem, leaving residents with inconsistent access to clean water.
Nanotech, meanwhile, continues to pursue payment from HCC for its initial USD 1 million contract. The ongoing dispute has raised questions about the council’s ability to manage essential city services and maintain transparency in its operations.
Source: ZimInd