Party cracks emerge in water crisis

include Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust (MZWT) Chairman Dumiso Dabengwa, former Bulawayo Mayor Joshua Malinga, and Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, are already drafting a petition to present to President Robert Mugabe, complaining over the way Bulawayo residents “are being held at ransom” by the government “for political stand-offs” they have nothing to gain from.
Bulawayo has a perennial water crisis, as all the city’s five supply dams are situated in Matabeleland South province, which has very low rainfall patterns and quickly dry out.
Already, three of the dams have been de-commissioned, while the two remaining are expected to dry out at the end of next month.
Several suburbs in the city have gone for more than two months without water and have relied on the few boreholes drilled by non-governmental organisations in the 1990s. Residents whose suburbs do not have boreholes are now buying the precious liquid from other residents.
There are also growing health fears, as some of the water being sold is untreated..
Last month, Munacho Mutezo, the Minister of Water and Infrastructural Development, made a controversial statement that government would not intervene in the water crisis until the Bulawayo City Council handed over its sewerage and water reticulation to the government-owned Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).
Although Mutezo made a u-turn from that statement 24 hours later, Bulawayo politicians are still not convinced.
Party sources told The Zimbabwean that the petition seeks to draw Mugabe’s attention to Mutezo’s statement, as well as find a lasting solution to the Bulawayo water crisis, which they said affects the whole Matabeleland region.
“Bulawayo is the regional capital of Matabeleland and when it suffers, the whole region suffers. Some industries have relocated to other cities, especially Harare because of this crisis, and that has affected the people of Matabeleland who come to Bulawayo to seek employment. We want to draw the President’s attention to the crisis that will further alienate the people of Matabeleland,” said a Zanu (PF) official.
“Bulawayo is under-developed because of the perennial water crisis. Government has seemingly not prioritised the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, which will end this problem. Construction at the Gwayi-Shangani dam, which is part of this worthwhile project, has also stopped due to lack of funding and the people are not happy. The project has only been mentioned when the party campaigns for elections and people are not naive, they are very angry about that.
“They also accuse Zanu (PF) leaders in the region of being in the party for personal gain. They accuse us of forgetting about them and developing their region. That is why the party has always failed to win the elections in Bulawayo and most parts of the region,” reads the five-page petition. titled ‘Bulawayo water problems’.
The petition goes on to accuse Mutezo of fuelling anger against the ruling party by making the “careless” statement last month.
“Although the Honourable Minister (Mutezo) and his Information counterpart tried to cool tempers by making follow-up statements, the first words had done enough damage to the government and the party, especially after nothing has been done and the people continue to suffer. The people of Bulawayo do not care who runs the water and sewerage systems, but want a better service, hence (they) should not be held at ransom in political matters they stand to gain nothing from,” reads the statement.
Zanu (PF) National chairman, John Nkomo, professed ignorance about the petition.
“There are no divisions within Zanu (PF) and I do not know about such a petition. If you have seen it yourself then what do you want from me? Zanu (PF) is concerned about the plight of Bulawayo and a lot is being done. We cannot do things overnight,” he said.