Zimbabwe has begun rehabilitating the Morton Jaffray Waterworks in Norton, a development expected to double the facility’s production capacity from the current 300 megalitres per day.
Announcing the progress, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, said the intervention followed a directive from President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“We realise that water is a universal right and after noting that the local authority was facing difficulties, the President directed us to rehabilitate the Morton Jaffray Plant — and works have already started,” he said.
For decades, Harare endured a constrained water supply, largely due to an ageing distribution network and the deterioration of the Morton Jaffray Waterworks. The decline resulted in a nearly 50 percent drop in daily production from an average of 600 megalitres.
Government is now intensifying efforts to restore reliable water supply for the capital through a public-private partnership between the City of Harare and Helcraw Water.
Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, said the partnership is critical in mobilising both funding and technical expertise.
“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, through Helcraw Water, our partner, has invested huge amounts of money to ensure the plant is upgraded, and the capacity will be increased,” he said.
The rehabilitation of Morton Jaffray forms part of the broader Harare Water Project ecosystem, which has already delivered over 40 000 smart water prepaid meters, a major step in eliminating the long-criticised estimated billing system.
Additionally, more than 60 kilometres of the water distribution network have been upgraded, replacing old asbestos pipes with durable PVC pipes.
Mechanical Services Engineer for the City of Harare, Engineer Lovejoy Denhere, highlighted ongoing works and upcoming installations.
“We have started with the purifiers and clarifiers. We are now looking forward to the boilers, which take approximately six months to install and will come from China. Capacity will be increased by over 50 percent,” he said.
Helcraw Water Chairperson, Farai Jere, said the project is being rolled out in phases and is expected to be completed within five years.
“This is a huge project, and we are delivering it in phases. It is expected to be fully completed in the next five years and will cost billions of dollars. For now, we are focusing on three major issues: prepaid meters, replacing pipes and rehabilitating Morton Jaffray,” he said.
Beyond improving water infrastructure, the initiative has also created thousands of jobs. Under the Second Republic, Government continues to prioritise public-private partnerships as a central pillar in advancing national development.
