There are fears of a fresh outbreak of cholera and typhoid in Zimbabwe with the capital Harare facing a severe water crisis. The city’s sole waterworks on Monday had to suspend distribution of water as it lacked the cash to buy imported water treatment chemicals.
Zimbabwe was hit by a severe drought between October 2018 and May this year, but Harare’s Deputy Mayor Herbert Mupamaonde said a prolonged shortage of foreign currency to import water purifying chemicals has worsened the situation.
The cash-strapped government has been struggling to raise enough foreign currency for water treatment while most of Harare’s water and sewer infrastructure is in a state of disrepair.
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The water treatment plant was temporarily reopened on Wednesday morning, but officials said it is likely to close again as the chemicals will only last for a week.
Shortages are a chronic problem in Zimbabwe, whose economy was wrecked by hyperinflation and mismanagement during the era of hardline President Robert Mugabe.
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