Zimbabwean News You Can Trust
A Harare woman who recorded a viral video accusing Adele construction company of fetching water from a sewage-infested stream to sell to Borrowdale residents has been arrested and charged with publishing falsehoods.
The woman, identified as Sandra Mazviita Pamberi, of Highlands, Harare, recorded herself in a Facebook live video making damning allegations against Adela Contracting and the video went viral on social media sites early this week.
Pamberi alleged that the company was extracting sewage polluted water and supplying it to unsuspecting residents as drinking water.
She was taken to Highlands Police Station, where she was charged with contravening section 164(C) of the Criminal Code and section 95 of the Criminal Code.
In response to her video, Adela Contracting issued a statement in which the company denied being in the water supply business nor having ever sold water to the public.
“Adela Contracting is a reputable plant-hire company in Zimbabwe. Our core business is the supply and hire of plant equipment. We do not distribute water for purposes of profit to private individuals or corporates and our company has never ventured in such business.
“Adela Contracting was contracted by Runt Dutoit Property Developers, to supply plant and equipment for the purposes of road construction in the Kambanji area, Greystone Park, between Gaydon Drive and Maranzi. In the area in which the video was taken runs a stream of freshwater that crosses Outspan Drive.
“The mandate of the private company was the diversion of the stream and drainage of any surplus water that would interfere with the roadworks. Due to the heavy rains that have been experienced over the past few weeks, a pool of rainwater had accumulated by a stream which pool needed to be diverted,” read the statement.
The company added that the said water bowser captured in the video was draining water from the stream in order to enable further development of the road and the drained water was used for road compaction.
“We would like to emphasize that this water is NOT sewage water,” Adela Contracting added.
“Furthermore, the area itself does NOT have any sewer lines such that sewage water can be found in the locality.
“For emphasis, the water collected in the video was NOT distributed to residents or any person whatsoever outside the locality.”