RESIDENTS of Hwange continue to endure a worsening water crisis, with some households going for days — and at times weeks — without running water, prompting renewed calls for urgent government intervention.
The crisis in Hwange, Matabeleland North, is driven by a combination of El Niño-induced drought, ageing infrastructure, and pollution from mining activities. Residents now face extreme rationing, with water supplies reportedly available only once every 133 hours, forcing many to depend on boreholes or travel long distances to access water.
Hwange residents are grappling with a severe water shortage attributed to contamination of Deka River from mining operations and diversion of water from key sources such as Kalope Dam.
Hwange Central legislator Daniel Molokele has described a stark decline in service delivery, contrasting current hardships with the past when the town had a reliable water supply.
“For so many years now, most residents have been forced to endure a never-ending serious water crisis in Hwange Central. It is now normal not to have running water in most households,” he told Southern Eye.
“I still have vivid memories of how easily accessible running water was in Hwange. As children, we would fill washing tubs at communal points and splash water freely while singing, ‘Pata pata golila! Ye golila!’”
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Molokele said residents relied heavily on boreholes due to inconsistent supply from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa). He recently commissioned a solar-powered borehole in ward 5, Empumalanga, one of four installed under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) programme. While welcoming the intervention, he said funding delays hampered completion, forcing him to cover outstanding costs.
“The ward 5 borehole was delayed after CDF funds were depleted. I had to personally cover the outstanding balance to ensure the project was completed and residents could finally access water,” Molokele said.
He, however, expressed concern over the growing reliance on boreholes in an urban setting.
“In 1980, Hwange had no boreholes because they were associated with rural areas. Today, 46 years after independence, we are celebrating boreholes in an urban setting. It reflects how far we have fallen,” Molokele said.
He warned that deteriorating water infrastructure is undermining public health, dignity and economic activity.
Zinwa has acknowledged supply challenges in parts of Hwange, saying rehabilitation work is underway.
Spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga said disruptions were affecting Empumalanga and surrounding areas due to a major pipe burst that occurred on April 28, 2026.
“The current disruption in the affected zones is due to a major pipe burst that occurred on April 28, 2026. Although our maintenance teams completed repairs on April 29, a secondary failure occurred shortly thereafter,” she said.
Munyonga added that pumping challenges over the past three weeks had further strained supply, with both main pumps at the primary station suffering mechanical breakdowns.
“To ensure residents did not face a total blackout of services, the authority installed a temporary unit. However, this unit has a reduced output of 430m³ per hour.”
She said the reduced capacity from 600m³ led to intermittent supply and low pressure in some areas, but assured residents that restoration work was ongoing.
“We are currently in the final stages of procuring a new 600 cubic metre per hour pump,” Munyonga said.
She said once installed, it will allow the system to revert to its design capacity and ensure normal, consistent water distribution to all clients.