Water scarcity fears in Mat, Midlands
Saturday, 28 January 2012 19:01
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
BULAWAYO – Cities and towns in Matabeleland and Midlands regions are facing
serious water shortages owing to dwindling water levels in dams and
collapsing water treatment infrastructure.
A snap survey by The Standard last week established that Bulawayo, Gweru,
Gwanda and Zvishavane are among the hardest hit.
Gweru has, for the past fortnight, been without enough running water
following the breakdown of four of its six water pumps at Gwenoro water
purification site, sparking fears of water-borne diseases like cholera and
dysentery.
As a result of the breakdown, Gweru has been dependent on two pumps which
only supplies 25% of the city’s water daily requirements.
Gweru mayor Tedius Tshuma last week said the city required nearly US$1,6
million to rehabilitate the 57-year-old collapsing infrastructure at the
Gwenoro water purification site.
“The only solution is for us to get nearly US$1,6 million to refurbish and
replace the old water treatment infrastructure which was installed in 1955,”
said Tshuma.
“Regular repairs will not solve anything as the pumps which are now old will
keep breaking down.”
In Gwanda, the provincial capital of Matabeleland South, water shortages
have been attributed to squabbles between the local authority and the
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) over water management and control
of pumps.
The council has accused Zinwa of refusing to let go of water treatment pumps
despite a government directive to do so.
Gwanda mayor, Lionel De Necker, said Zinwa has “for the past weeks been
deliberately supplying the city with half of the water” they required on a
daily basis.
De Necker said Zinwa was only pumping water for nine hours instead of the
agreed 18 hours per day saying that it did not have sufficient funds to pay
its workers for double shifts.
“Zinwa says it has financial challenges and does not have money to pay its
workers to do overtime shifts,” said De Necker.
“But what we are saying as council is that whatever problems Zinwa might
have they should not be transferred to the community. The community should
not suffer because Zinwa is also facing problems.”
He said the only practical solution was for Zinwa to hand over water
management systems to the council. Attempts to get a comment from Zinwa
officials in Matabeleland South were fruitless last week.
Byo to decomission dams
Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (Ucaz) president Femias Chakabuda,
who is also the mayor for Masvingo, said urban councils were unhappy with
the provision of water by central government through Zinwa.
Bulawayo City council (BCC), which is also facing water problems, plans to
decommission Umzingwane dam in February due to low water levels. The dam is
one of the five that supply water to the city.
There are also plans to decommission two more dams, Upper Ncema and
Inyankuni.