RURAL women from Hwange, Gwanda and Binga have lamented worsening water shortages, failed harvests and livestock deaths as climate change intensifies, leaving communities grappling with long queues, rising costs and growing hardships.
Their testimonies were shared during a Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) dialogue linking decision-makers with women living the realities of the crisis under the #Women4ClimateJustice theme.
Hwange Chachachunda villager Rosemary Shoko said worsening water shortages were tied to climate change.
“Our borehole has dry hours where it doesn’t produce any water and we only have one,” she said.
“We are forced to face the gruelling heat since the borehole is solar-powered and only works when there is sunlight.”
Shoko said the borehole’s location near the road attracted drivers from faraway places.
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“This causes long queues and our domestic animals no longer have water to drink too,” she said.
Fellow villager Blessed Siakuyuba said traditional farming had collapsed.
“We traditionally used to till our land using ox-drawn ploughs. We used to grow maize. But currently, there isn’t enough rain, so now we practise dry planting,” she said.
“We dig small holes and place manure inside them which is where we then plant our seeds. We now grow drought resistant crops so as to be able to feed our families. Most of our cattle have died due to long periods of drought.”
In Gwanda, farmer Cecila Rubenheimer said water was costly and difficult to get.
“We walk a distance of 5km to access water, which is often unavailable due to extremely low water levels,” she said.
“To access a drum of water from Gwanda Mthabisi Dam, one has to pay Rand 300, equivalent to US$15. Typically, a single drum lasts only three days for our livestock to drink and household use.”
She added: “We are deeply saddened because the rainy season was delayed by over three months, worsening an already dire situation. Cattle are dying everyday, and we have lost hope. We only have one borehole.”
Binga Manjolo Springs villager Tabitha Sikabele linked the water crisis to safety risks for women.
“Due to climate change, all our gardens have dried up because the natural water springs are drying. We queue for over 12 hours to get drinking water from our overwhelmed borehole,” she said.
“This has raised the number of gender-based violence cases as men accuse women of promiscuity due to the long hours they stay away from home.
“This also exposes women to the risk of rape and robbery. Our gardens have dried up due to climate change, the sun is too hot.”