BULAWAYO is in mourning following a preventable diarrhoea-related death in Pumula South, blamed on unsafe borehole water consumed during prolonged municipal water cuts.
The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) says the tragedy exposes a catastrophic public health failure and is demanding immediate government and council intervention.
BPRA said the death was directly linked to residents being forced to rely on untreated, unmonitored boreholes while municipal water shedding dragged on.
“This fatal incident exposes the catastrophic public health failure gripping the City of Bulawayo. Normalising this absurd water crisis in 2026 is no longer an option,” the association stated.
The group argued that the crisis infringes section 77(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to safe, clean and potable water.
It warned that aging infrastructure, erratic supply and municipal neglect have compromised the right to life for Bulawayo residents.
BPRA raised alarm over illegal mining along riverbanks, saying it poses a “catastrophic risk of chemical contamination” that can poison the city’s remaining water supply with hazardous substances like cyanide.
“Residents must not be forced to choose between dying of thirst or dying from contaminated water,” BPRA said, citing section 52 of the Constitution on the right to personal security and bodily integrity.
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BPRA also urged residents to boil all water, use approved purification tablets and report diarrhoea or water-borne disease symptoms to clinics immediately.
“This tragic loss of life must serve as a final wake-up call for authorities to address Bulawayo's growing water and sanitation challenges before more lives are placed at risk,” the association said.
Pumula ward 27 councillor Lizzy Sibanda confirmed the death of a child in the suburb from diarrhoea.
“Yes it is true, a child lost her life due to diarrhoea. What we discovered is that BCC had recently disconnected tap water due to money owed to the local authority.
“Therefore, it is said that the family started using borehole water and they delayed taking the child to hospital till the child succumbed to diarrhoea,” Sibanda said.
“When the second child started showing signs of the illness, we quickly took it to the clinic for treatment. We then took the child to a city council doctor.”
Sibanda called on the residents to boil water and make use of WaterGuard to keep their water clean and safe for consumption.
“I would like to urge residents to make use of WaterGuard pills or boil the water.
“Yes the city council does make sure that they treat borehole water monthly but sometimes with the rate at which sewerage systems are bursting it makes it a bit difficult to say the water is always clean. So like l said boil the water or request WaterGuard pills from any local clinic,” she said.
