By John Ndlovu
Raw sewerage flowing down the streets, uncollected refuse slowly growing into little hills and added to that, long spells of water rationing. Welcome to Bulawayo the City of Kings.
Once touted the cleanest City in Africa and beyond. Bulawayo is really shining on past glory because all that is no more. The City’s Central Business District now also has places in which there is little mounds of rotting vegetables and other forms of garbage, this is partly because the City Fathers have stopped policing the streets and getting rid of unlicensed hawkers.
Efforts to get a comment from the City Council were fruitless as they completely ignored our correspondence.
An anonymous Bulawayo resident who claims to be a health practitioner claims that his business which operates between Samuel Parirenyatwa and 5th Avenue has lost customers after an illegal dumpsite emerged behind its premises.
“It was there just before Christmas and it’s sad that we are operating in such a place. We know that it’s vendors who dump the junk cleaning their environment at our expense. Worse there is a residential area and a pre-school and so it will affect their business and ours too as parents will shun enrolling their kids to an institution located in an unclean environment whilst we will also be losing clients and customers.” Stated An anonymous resident who claims to be a health practitioner.
“I call upon the responsible authorities and central government to take action, we do not pay taxes to operate in such filth. Mind you this is the rainy season watch out for typhoid, diarrhoea and cholera breaking out in the City of Bulawayo. “Added the Health Practitioner.
The problem of burst sewer pipes is now a common sight and occurrence in the City’s high density suburbs with the City Fathers overwhelmed by the rapid expansion of Bulawayo.
“Ukudubuka kwezititshi lengcekeza kuyesabisa shuwa ngoba ucina susesaba lokuba abantwana badlalele phandle susesaba ukuba bangacina bedlalela kusuweji. UManispala samazisa kodwa ababuyi ukuzosilungisela sesaze sadela satshiyana lakho.”
( Raw sewerage flowing in our homes and in the streets is a health hazard for us and our families. Imagine we get to cook in such conditions and our little children are also exposed to that dirty water. When we report to the City Council we are received with deaf ears.) Stated MaMdlongwa from Makokoba suburbs.