NGOs intervene in Bulawayo water crisis

NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisations World Vision Zimbabwe ( WVZ), Africa Head (AH) and Zimbabwe Orphans Hands Extended (ZOE) will sink boreholes and set up water kiosks to help alleviate the water shortages in Bulawayo.

The boreholes and kiosks will mainly be in the western suburbs that include Luveve, Gwabalanda, Cowdray Park, Magwegwe, Mabuthweni, Mpopoma, Sizinda, Tshabalala and Old Pumula.

Schools and other governmental institutions will also receive boreholes.

Bulawayo acting mayor Sikhululekile Moyo said the water levels at the city’s supply dams remained critical.

“The City of Bulawayo dams are currently at 22,5% and have been deteriorating for the past three rainy seasons due to poor rainfall. The water levels have led to a number of high lying areas in the city receiving water once a week or not at all. As a city, we continue to call on

various partners to come on board and help alleviate challenges we continue to face,” she said on Thursday during a tour of the projects.

Moyo said the council appreciated the effort by government to rehabilitate the aquifer which is in the north west of the city.

“We appreciate the role that they have played in the water augmentation projects at Nyamandlovu Rochester and Epping Forest. The City of Bulawayo appreciates the

partnership with WVZ, AH and ZOE which led to the implementation of a water and sanitation emergency project in the needy communities and at health and educational institutions in the city,” she said.

“The city appreciates these gestures that will ensure that schools have adequate water supply during this water shortage period as the focus of the project was mostly on schools and community institutions.”

Moyo also urged residents to stop destroying municipal infrastructure as this led to council incurring unnecessary costs.

“May I also urge the community to take care of the investments that have been made. May I further request the community to desist from vandalism of municipal infrastructure as it disrupts service delivery and results in council incurring unbudgeted costs to restore services,” she said.

Pic: Patricia Sibanda Iminyela residents in ward 13 in Bulawayo scramble for water after a bowser delivered the precious liquid for the first time in more than two weeks. This came as residents together with the Bulawayo Water Action last week protested against the unavailability of water in their communities.