The Chitungwiza Municipality has dismissed allegations that they are failing to provide residents with water, following complaints about dry taps for months and reports of the arrest of individuals selling water to locals.

A resident took to X (formerly Twitter) to express frustration, saying, “Instead of channeling that energy towards providing services, you are busy arresting people who are helping residents. The whole Council and elected officials are a bunch of incompetent individuals. The most useless bunch of officials in the world.“

In response to the criticism, the Chitungwiza Municipality issued a statement on X refuting claims of targeting borehole owners or bulk water suppliers. They clarified, “Chitungwiza Municipality wishes to set the record straight that it is not carrying out an operation against borehole owners or bulk water suppliers. Borehole owners and bulk water suppliers are required to register with the Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council. We encourage borehole owners and bulk water suppliers to register with UMSCC. Those who intend to drill boreholes are advised to have their sites inspected by the council before the drilling process.“

The municipality further acknowledged the ongoing water crisis, attributing it to the decommissioning of the Harava and Seke twin dams. In an effort to address the issue, they announced plans to hold a Water Indaba, a multi-stakeholder forum aimed at developing short-term solutions to alleviate the crisis.

The statement concluded with an apology to residents, saying, “We are going to convene a Water Indaba, which will be a multi-stakeholder forum to come up with short-term solutions to the water crisis. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconveniences caused by the water crisis.“

This comes as Chitungwiza continues to grapple with water shortages, leaving many residents frustrated and seeking alternative solutions.