By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
The City of Harare has fined a Budiriro 3 resident US$13,813.51 for damage caused to public roads while connecting water from their privately drilled borehole to neighboring households. The fine has ignited widespread outrage and criticism among Zimbabweans, who view the penalty as unjust, especially in light of the ongoing water shortages plaguing the community.
In a formal letter addressed to the resident, the City of Harare’s Director of Works, Engineer Isaac Chawatama, explained that the resident had violated city regulations by installing unauthorized water pipes, leading to road damage.
“It has been brought to my attention that a borehole was drilled at your residence and water is being distributed to other households. In doing so, roads were cut without authority from the Roads Section of the City of Harare,” the letter stated.
The letter instructed the resident to visit Room 411 on the 4th Floor of Cleveland House to receive an invoice for the penalty fee. Chawatama also demanded that all damaged roads be repaired within 48 hours of the notice and warned that failure to pay the penalty within seven days would result in further enforcement actions.
The punitive measure has drawn anger from local residents and social media users alike, many of whom criticized the City of Harare for targeting a resident who is attempting to alleviate water shortages in the area.
Critics highlighted the city’s neglect of public infrastructure, pointing out that the city’s roads are already in disrepair, riddled with potholes, and poorly maintained.
“This resident is stepping in to provide a service that the city has failed to deliver,” said one social media user.
“They should be praised, not punished. Instead of imposing fines, the City of Harare should focus on making sure our roads and basic services are functional,” another user added.
The incident has underscored growing public dissatisfaction with the city’s administration, as many residents are calling for urgent reforms in service delivery.
As the outrage continues to mount, community members are rallying together to demand accountability from the City of Harare, with hopes that this incident will spark wider discussions on effective governance and infrastructure maintenance in their neighborhoods.