RESIDENTS of Bulawayo’s Nkulumane high-density suburb have reportedly not been receiving bowser water deliveries from the city council since the 120-hour water-rationing schedule came into force three days ago.
BY PATRICIA SIBANDA
Council pledged to deliver water to residents when it implemented the water-rationing schedule to ease the crisis in the city.
The city recently implemented a 120-hour water-rationing programme due to low levels at supply dams caused by consecutive droughts in catchment areas and challenges in balancing its raw and clean water reservoirs at the Criterion water treatment plant.
Yesterday, residents at a meeting in Nkulumane said they had not received deliveries for three consecutive days. Former Nkulumane Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson Paul Ngwenya said: “I contacted the city council three days ago requesting for a bowser to bring water for the residents in ward 20 and they told me that they would come. People were now causing chaos at my gate requesting for water.”
He said there were no boreholes in Nkulumane.
“We, Nkulumane residents, are requesting that since the council is failing to bring in water bowser to assist us can they at least drill boreholes for us. What we do not understand is that they had promised us bowsers now that they had expanded the water shedding days to five as a way to conserving water,” Ngwenya said.
He said hygiene was being compromised and feared a coronavirus outbreak in the area as residents could not access water for hand-washing.
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“To make matters worse, we have been visited by the COVID-19. Our fear is that if it attacks our ward (20), all of us may perish. We need water to make sure that we follow the mitigatory measures as a way of curbing this deadly disease,” Ngwenya said.
Residents said council service delivery was questionable and said the elected councillors had failed to represent their interests since there was no infrastructural development in the ward.
Ngwenya also urged council to recruit locally so as to empower community members and youths most of whom are jobless.
Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni said: “Bowsers are only sent to the areas when their water-shedding period has lapsed. However, some residents are still not receiving tap water — mainly houses which are affected by such disruptions are on high grounds. I advise the affected residents to report the problem to their councillor for assistance.”
