I’m No Magician: Mayor Mafume Speaks On Failure To Solve Harare Water Crisis

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume Admits Defeat In Water Crisis, Pleads For Mnangagwa’s Help

In a stunning admission of defeat, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has confessed he cannot perform “abracadabra” to fix the capital’s devastating water crisis, pleading for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to ride to the rescue. The embattled mayor’s dramatic plea comes as the full horror of Harare’s decaying infrastructure and contaminated water sources comes to light.

‘The Problem Is Now Too Big For Harare’

“I am no magician, I can’t perform ‘abracadabra’ to solve water crisis,” Mafume confessed in a moment of brutal honesty.

Mafume has written a desperate letter to the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet pleading for Mnangagwa’s intervention.

“The contents of the Town Clerk’s letter present a clear and compelling case that the current situation in Harare is no longer tenable and poses an imminent threat to the public health,” Mafume wrote.

“The issues highlighted, including the contamination of Lake Chivero and the widespread failure of critical infrastructure, demand urgent intervention at the highest level.”

In a jaw-dropping statement, the mayor flat-out admitted:

“It is evident that the city of Harare’s capacity to address these challenges has been outpaced by the scale and the complexity of the problem.”

Businessman Slams ‘Politics And Empty Speeches’

Gary Stafford, whose wildlife park has been devastated by the pollution crisis, is suing Harare City Council, ZINWA, EMA and Zimbabwe National Parks over the contamination of Lake Chivero that has led to the death of several animals and fish.

“My claim is not merely premised on the death of animals. It is premised on the closure of lake activities, which negatively impacted my resort,” he said.

Stafford didn’t hold back, saying the days of politicians hiding behind closed doors are over.

“I note the admission made by the Mayor that the situation is indeed grave, and I aver that gone are the days when it can be left to bureaucratic closed door meetings of politicians,” he blasted.

Residents Left High And Dry

Residents of Kuwadzana have gone for close to a month without running water, forcing thousands of families to rely on overcrowded boreholes.

“We are surviving on donated boreholes,” said one desperate resident. “Sometimes you wait seven hours just to get a few litres. No one tells us anything.”

When residents complained about sewage blockages, they were met with shocking excuses.

“They told us they had no gloves and no fuel,” said community leader Brian Mapira. “How can a city fail to respond to sewage because it has no gloves?”

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has weighed in, saying the local authority cannot continue to demand more from residents while failing to provide basic services.