Residents Cry Over Shabby Toilets

Poor sanitation facilities forces residents to resort to open defecation and bath inside their houses. Image by Zim Christian Alliance

BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | FEB 3, 2022

Poor sanitation, dilapidated ablution facilities cause misery for residents at Hwange Colliery Concession.

HWANGE (The Citizen Bulletin) – Rejoice Ncube enters the house with a big washing dish, collects a bathing soap before excusing herself to take a bath in her bedroom, leaving her friend seated at the dining room.

“I have been doing this for a long time now. In the morning before I go to work, I bath inside the house,” Ncube, a single mother says.

Most residents in the Hwange Colliery concession use public ablution facilities with the exception of a few with managerial positions.

The toilets, built over 3 decades ago have aged, phased out by modern infrastructure and are no longer humane.

The continued use of the dilapidated facilities is a cause for concern to residents.

“Using these public toilets is a health hazard,” Ncube adds.

Residents called on the HCC to make sure that every house has an inbuilt toilet for decency, and privacy.

Some residents like Rejoice have stopped using the public ablution facilities.

The toilets are characterised by congestion in the morning and evening.

The poor maintenance of the facilities has resulted in many residents opting to bath inside their houses, and practice open defecation.

Residents say using public toilets is a health hazard. Image by Zim Christian Alliance

In 2021, an 8-year-old child was burnt by an underground coal mine at Kamponi, which is an old coal dumpsite in Makwika village in Hwange as she was relieving herself in the bush.

The Greater Hwange Residents Trust (GWRT) describes the incident as unfortunate, and calls on the HCC to take urgent steps in improving sanitation.

“We had a meeting with the HCC late last year. We made our position clear that there is a need to attend to public ablution facilities,” GWRT Coordinator Fidelis Chima says.

“They (HCC) are citing financial constraints, but we will ensure that HCC engages the community so that they hear how the community can assist with ideas in that regard.”

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Thomas Moyo, a resident of Lwendulu in Hwange refutes claims by the HCC of being incapacitated to improve sanitation facilities.

“The company (HCC) makes a lot of money through the sale of coal. I don’t think it can fail to renovate the houses adding bathrooms for its workers and all the residents in their concession,” Moyo says.

Dr Beauty Mutombe, HCC Corporate Communications manager did not respond to questions sent to her by this reporter despite promises to do so.

Hwange Central legislator Daniel Molokela voices his displeasure on the use of dilapidated ablution facilities.

“These are colonial era toilets which cannot fit in the modern society. There is no decency in the whole thing. It’s very unfortunate that our people find themselves in such a situation.”
Daniel Molokela, Hwange Central legislator

According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) 2020 Urban Livelihoods Assessment report, Manicaland (5.2%) and Matabeleland North (3.7%) had the highest proportion of having poor sanitation facilities.

Open defecation was highest in Matabeleland North at (6,6%) while also a high number of dwellings where more than five households share a toilet.

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