Helcraw’s Water Convoy or PR Parade? Harare’s PPP Under Scrutiny

Harare’s new PPP with Helcraw and Hangzhou Laison promises pipe upgrades, prepaid meters, and Morton Jaffray rehabilitation (image source)

Harare’s thirst for clean water may soon be quenched—or at least that’s the hope—as the City of Harare (CoH) signs a much-hyped Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Helcraw Private Limited, Hangzhou Laison Technology (China), and the Government of Zimbabwe. The project, launched on 7 October, promises to replace leaky pipes, roll out prepaid meters, and overhaul the tired Morton Jaffray Waterworks. Yet, before a single wrench hit the ground, residents were treated to the curious spectacle of a convoy of shiny new trucks zigzagging through town—complete with flashing hazard lights and a police escort.

On social media, the verdict was instant and brutal. “Flashing cars while taps are dry—that’s a plot twist no one asked for,” quipped one X user under the trending hashtag #WaterFlashMob. For some, it was a sign of renewed capacity; for others, it looked suspiciously like a parade of promises.

The optics weren’t great. Helcraw handed over six double-cab and ten single-cab maintenance vehicles to CoH teams, a gesture Acting Town Clerk Phakamile Mabhena Moyo defended as an operational boost: “These vehicles are tools of service that will directly enhance operational capacity, efficiency and responsiveness.”

Still, critics argue that parading vehicles before laying pipes feels like celebrating a wedding before the vows. Civil-society activist Roselyn Chikuku, director of Water Rights Zimbabwe, offered a dry retort: “Flashing cars without fixing taps only breeds cynicism. Harare residents want timelines, not tail lights.”

Behind the PR gloss lies a substantial project. Helcraw is contracted to supply and install new mains, cut leakages, and upgrade billing systems through prepaid water meters—a move the council says will curb wastage and improve accountability. According to CoH data, non-revenue water losses from illegal connections and burst pipes now gulp 35% of total supply, draining millions in potential revenue and keeping taps dry across high-density suburbs.

At the heart of the plan is the rehabilitation of Morton Jaffray, Harare’s main treatment plant. The target: boost output from 300 to 520 megalitres per day by mid-2026. A civil engineering lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe called the project “technically sound but politically fragile.” “A reliable intake and upgraded filtration could transform supply, but execution—not ceremony—will determine success.”

The MSN report on Harare’s water woes reads like a manual on municipal neglect: corroded pipes, inconsistent pressure, and frequent boil-water advisories. For many suburbs, the phrase “running water” has become metaphorical. Mayor Jacob Mafume insists the PPP is part of a broader reform model that could extend to waste management and road rehabilitation. Skeptics, however, recall how earlier ventures, like the Geo Pomona Waste Project, stalled amid accusations of murky procurement and political favouritism.

PPP, it seems, now stands for “Public Pomp, Pending Progress.” Residents’ frustration is less about who signs the deal and more about whether it works. Past promises have produced press conferences, not pressure at the tap. “Our institutions are great at ribbon-cutting but allergic to progress reports,” said a community leader from Mufakose. “Let’s see if this one flows beyond the hashtags.” Transparency watchdogs are calling for the publication of project milestones, public-access dashboards, and clear performance metrics. Without them, they warn, the water crisis risks drowning in bureaucracy.

The city says pipeline works will begin in Budiriro, Kuwadzana, and Marlborough in November, followed by prepaid meter installations in Epworth by January 2026. A six-month review in May 2026 will assess progress, though residents are already bracing for another cycle of press briefings and polite excuses if targets aren’t met. The project could become Harare’s water salvation—or another PPP mirage, where the only thing flowing freely is rhetoric.