Gwanda’s Water Woes Persist: A Ticking Health Time Bomb

Water challenges pose a health threat in Gwanda at a time when some of the country's provinces have been hit by cholera outbreaks. Image by Unsplash

Despite having a Mega Reservoir in their midst and owning a water treatment plant, Gwanda residents still suffer a water crisis — a situation which is a ticking bomb to diseases as taps go dry for weeks.

BY LYNNIA NGWENYA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | JUN 14, 2023

GWANDA (The Citizen Bulletin) — In October 2022, the municipality of Gwanda was finally handed control of the water and reticulation system following years of resistance by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).

For years, the municipality blamed water shortages in the Matabeleland South capital on ZINWA.

Owning the water treatment plant and having a 5 Megalitre reservoir will see water woes disappear, the council often argued.

However, water shortages still persist.

Residents are going for days without water, posing a health threat when cholera, first detected in February in Chegutu, has spread to all provinces.

Mgcini Ncube from Spitzkop North Extension, Ward 5, says he wakes up at around 6 in the morning, pushing his wheelbarrow laden four 20 litre buckets headed to Njanji shopping centre to fetch water.

“We are used to ferrying water with wheelbarrows almost every day,” he says.

“Water costs R2 a bucket at Njanji, so one has to work hard to provide money for basics at home and also for buying water.”

Mercy Jele who resides at Jahunda Township, Ward 4, is disappointed with her municipality.

“The Council acts as if they didn't hear that there is an outbreak of Cholera, they don't offer any bowser as an alternative. We walk long distances in search of water as if we are in rural areas.”
Mercy Jele, Jahunda Township resident

In an interview with The Citizen Bulletin, Gwanda Mayor Njabulo Siziba acknowledged the water challenges.

“The Council was short changed by the contractor they engaged on the construction of the reservoir.  The tank has leakages…In the meantime we are still trying to mobilize funds for its rehabilitation,” Siziba explains.

“We have flighted tenders, but unfortunately we didn't get any response.”

The Municipality of Gwanda says that rolling electricity outages add to the water woes in the town. Image by NewsDay

Sources told The Citizen Bulletin that the municipality sold the reservoir to Mornef Investment, a construction company that services and sells stands in the town.

However, Siziba dismissed the allegations as false.

“Mornef Investment failed to service stands that had been allocated to them in a stipulated period, we then engaged them to rehabilitate the reservoir in return. We did not sell the tank, people must not lie.”
Njabulo Siziba, Gwanda Mayor

“Rolling electricity outages are adding to the water woes,” Siziba says.

“The water treatment plant requires electricity, without power, it's not functional,” Siziba says.

ZESA Holdings is failing to meet demand, resulting in consumers going for several hours without electricity every day.

Gwanda Residents Association (GRA) secretary Wellington Nare says the municipality must consider solar power.

ALSO READ: Condemned Dumpsite Threatens Residents' Health Amid Cholera Outbreak

Siziba however said the council does not have money to set up a solar plant.

“When we talk of a solar plant to pump water for the whole town, we don't talk of one solar. It's a huge project that requires a lot of money. The council does not have that kind of money,” Siziba says.

“We also urge residents to honour their debts and pay them so that the council is able to provide the needed services.”

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