×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Kuwadzana residents fear cholera outbreak

News
There are fears of an outbreak of cholera and other water-borne diseases in Kuwadzana, Harare, due to spilling sewer which has gone unattended by the local authority for weeks now.

There are fears of an outbreak of cholera and other water-borne diseases in Kuwadzana, Harare, due to spilling sewer which has gone unattended by the local authority for weeks now.

By Freeman Makopa

Raw sewage is flowing in most parts of the suburb, with residents expressing disappointment at the Harare City Council for not treating the matter as urgent.

“We are surprised that council has taken months to respond to this disaster. We approached them with our challenges, but they told us that the sewer system has collapsed and their rods cannot reach where there are blockages,” one of the residents said.

“They only came to dig a hole which they left open, posing danger to residents and motorists. There is raw sewer flowing everywhere, exposing us to water-borne diseases. Council should act quickly before something bad happens.”

At the time of going to print last night, council spokesperson Michael Chideme had not yet responded to questions sent to him earlier during the week.

But ward 37 councillor Jaison Kautsa told NewsDay that lack of resources was the greatest hindrance.

“Yes, I have been trying to mobilise resources to address the problems being faced in my area. I went to the council and they did not have an excavator to pull out some of the rocks that are in the area,” he said.

“We are supposed to put a tank and I went to try and hire the excavator, but they are charging US$65 to drive to the place and another US$65 per hour for the process. It’s quite a lot of money.”

Kautsa said he has been using his personal money to fund some of the works.

“Right now, I am at Town House trying to organise for the high velocity truck so that we go and try to drain things that are blocking the system. These could be spoons and the like,” he said.