Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
The Government of Zanu-Pf has refused to declare Bulawayo a water disaster area, despite the city’s supply dams being at a critically low 29% capacity.
Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi attributed the crisis to mismanagement by local authorities, stating:
“We have refrained from declaring a disaster where we feel there is mismanagement by our local authorities… If there are local authorities that should not be broke, they are Harare and Bulawayo, but for the past 20 or so years, they have failed in their roles as city leaders.”
Bulawayo MP Dr. Thokozani Khupe questioned this stance, highlighting the need for external funding to address the crisis:
“My question is motivated by the fact that since 2023, the government has been rehabilitating part of the 22 broken boreholes in the Nyamandlovu aquifer… The aquifer water has dropped to about five megalitres per day, against a potential of 26.”
Minister Ziyambi claimed the government is committed to solving Bulawayo’s water problems, citing the Gwayi-Shangani project:
“Once that is complete, we will solve the problem of water… We are going to start with Bulawayo because we need to replace all the pipes and redo the water reticulation system to ensure continuous water delivery.”
However, residents remain frustrated, accusing the government of politicizing essential services and ignoring the city’s urgent needs.
Over the years, Bulawayo has faced a severe raw water shortage for decades due to persistent droughts and irregular rainfall patterns, a situation that residents and local leaders say requires immediate attention.
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) recently reported that the city’s supply dams are down to just 29% capacity, intensifying calls for government intervention and external funding to address the crisis.
At a different meeting the Mayor of Bulawayo Senator David Coltart pointed to the devaluing of the local currency as a major contributor to the Council’s dry coffers.
This Minister Ziyambi has failed to acknowledge as he claims that the City of Bulawayo must not be broke.
Last week the City Council held a stakeholders meeting at the Large City Hall to mitigate efforts against the water crisis. No tangible solution was forthcoming. Surprisingly, the following week a water crisis was said to be looming in Harare and already measures to alleviate this crisis are being looked into by the same government.
Minister Ziyambi is not bring sincere about the Gwayi-Shangani project that has taken years to completion. Even if the dam is complete, there still is more work to be done on the pipeline which will need millions of dollars to construct.
In the meantime, residents of Bulawayo’s suburbs endure months on end without water from their dried taps.
Zim GBC News©2024