A cholera outbreak is looming in Chitungwiza as service delivery nosedives, a crisis that worsened this week due to a strike action by council employees. By Our Staff Reporter
A visit to the dormitory town by NewsDay on Wednesday showed that disaster was inevitable given that the local authority is doing nothing to stop the free flow of sewage in Zengeza, St Marys, Seke and Manyame.
Sewage was flowing all over, while school children were seen desperately trying to negotiate their way past ponds of sewage.
Residents said a Grade Two pupil fell into one pit with sewage and had to be rescued by passersby, an indication that all was not well. Workers protesting against the return of Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo’s resuscitation team have all, but worsened the situation. The employees accuse the team of gobbling thousands of dollars at the expense of the local authority.
Western Kaseke, chairman of the residents health centre committee, said: “They came here saying they want to erect pipes, but nothing has been done. Recently, a grade two pupil fell into the sewage. It’s a crisis because there is no water, there is typhoid which is going on unabated and people are now being forced to use plastics and the bush system and they dump waste by throwing it into centres like schools which is terrible.
“Our fears are that the cholera outbreak will resurface. There is dysentery and typhoid which is not a good sign at all,” he said.
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Other residents who spoke to NewsDay said the situation was not normal and called on responsible authorities to intervene.
“We don’t even know whether we have a council or not. Why are they letting things get out of hand like this?” said Elizabeth Nyandoro.
On Wednesday, workers blocked the coming in of the resuscitation team to probe happenings in the Nyatsime housing saga, arguing the move was a money-making venture.
Chitungwiza town clerk George Makunde was not reachable for comment at the time of going to print last night.