GWERU - Residents of Mkoba suburb were forced to buy water following a breakdown at the city's main pumping station.
Residents had been surviving on council community tanks for weeks until the Gweru City Council failed to supply water for four days. Locals were forced to get water from the surrounding farms and plots for R5 per 20 litres. A visit to the plots revealed that those who did not have the money were made to work in the farms for some time before they were allowed to fetch water for their families. “We have no choice but to buy the water at the said price because we have
gone for three days without water and there is no hope that we will be getting water anytime soon. The council is not communicating with us. We read on Sunday that the breakdown would be fixed within 24 hours and we waited, but the 24 hours have come and gone. Who knows when we will get the water,” said Taurai Zuze of Mkoba 20. She said residents had to choose between spending the whole day queuing at a borehole or buying the water from plot farmers. “It’s very irresponsible on the part of the plot holders to take advantage of our misfortune. We are neighbours after all and we are supposed to be helping each other,” said Lawrence Gezha of Mkoba 17.