From Sewer to Supper: The City of Harare’s Liquid ...

From Sewer to Supper: The City of Harare’s Liquid Miracle

The City of Harare’s Facebook page was positively bubbling recently — not with water, of course, but with self-praise. In a jubilant post, the City announced that the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) Chairperson, Jessie Majome, had been “impressed” by how Harare produces safe water for residents.

Impressed. That’s the word. The same Harare where boreholes are guarded like family heirlooms, where taps hiss air like broken saxophones, and where “water day” arrives less often than a reliable kombi schedule.

According to the post, the ZHRC delegation toured the entire process — from Glen View’s sewer treatment plant to the sacred halls of Morton Jaffray — and emerged convinced that what flows through the city’s pipes is pure, potable proof of municipal competence.

And to seal the declaration, the Chairperson reportedly drank the water — on camera. No lab tests. No chemical analysis. Just the unerring science of the human tongue. Why rely on laboratories when the Chairperson’s palate can double as a national testing centre? ISO Palate 9001 is officially in effect.

Naturally, the City’s social media team gushed like a newly repaired pipe: emojis, hashtags, and all. “ZHRC IMPRESSED!” the post screamed — as though “impressed” were now a measurable water quality indicator.

Meanwhile, residents read the post between power cuts and borehole queues, clutching their buckets and their laughter. “Which Harare is this?” one commenter asked. Another wondered if the City’s social media admin had recently taken a sip of the same “safe” water.

It was a masterclass in self-congratulation — the kind where institutions clap for themselves and invite citizens to join in the applause. Harare doesn’t just serve water; it serves hope, satire, and a daily reminder that public relations can be purer than the product it promotes.

Because in this city, even the sewer has a PR strategy.