A research report submitted to the Faculty of
Humanities, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts in Development Studies
March 2015 / The research report presents an analysis to, responses to and dynamics around the
municipal water problems in Harare, Zimbabwe using the case of two residential suburbs
namely Mabvuku and Greendale (one high density and the other one low density
respectively). The key questions that inform this research report are as follows: How has
the on-going urban water crisis affected residents‟ lives in the suburbs of Greendale and
Mabvuku in the city of Harare, Zimbabwe?; how does party politics affect the delivery of
municipal water in Greendale and Mabvuku?; and, what are the environmental
consequences of the municipal water crisis? The findings from this study contribute
immensely to an understanding of the consequences of and various issues and, the key
players underlying the protracted problem of municipal water availability in the city of
Harare. The study argues that the prevalence of partisan politics and political power
struggles in Harare are at the heart of the municipal water problems faced by Mabvuku
and Greendale. In this regard, the study critically interrogates the relationship between
the central ZANU–PF government and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)-led
local government and tries to understand the ramifications it is having on municipal water
services. Interestingly the study also reveals that, despite the differences in coping
strategies by residents of Mabvuku and Greendale, both locales have not been passive
victims of the municipal water crisis. Instead, residents from both suburbs employ
strategies according to their needs to ensure survival. However, despite some of the
coping strategies (such as borehole and well drilling) significantly helping residents to
manage and avert the water stress in light of the absence of municipal tap water, the
study presents, explores and discusses the environmental consequences that are likely to
happen as a result of the high concentration of these alternative water sources. / GR2017
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/21893 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Maodzwa, Tongai Leslie Tendai |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (116 leaves), application/pdf, application/pdf |
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