The City of Bulawayo is grappling with a worsening water crisis, which has seen the local authority introducing a tight water saving schedule in most high density suburbs.
“To avoid the relocation of companies to other cities because of the water crisis, the council decided to spare industries and the city centre from shedding. It is sad that some of these companies are now abusing this privilege by selling water to desperate residents. This behaviour is unacceptable,” said the Mayor Patrick Thaba Moyo last week.
“I urge the residents to report to council any company which is in the habit of selling residents water. We are eager to deal with these companies as long as there is enough evidence that they are selling water,” he said.
Residents living in flats and cottages in the Central Business District, which is also exempt from rationing, are also selling water to residents in the high density suburbs where some residents are going for up to two weeks without receiving the precious liquid. A 20 litre bucket of water is reportedly being sold for R2.
The city’s five water supply dams have already been decommissioned and the water levels have reached critical levels at the remaining dams –the result of the worst drought in south-western Zimbabwe in almost four years.
Recently the local authority asked residents to participate in a “big flush” concurrently at 7:30pm every Saturday evening so that human waste does not solidify in the city’s aging sewerage pipes.
Post published in: News