Electrical fault leaves Gweru without water

SOME suburbs in Gweru have gone for a week without water after two pumps broke down following a power outage.

The mishap has resulted in the reduction of supply from 60 to 30 mega litres a day.

The City of Gweru draws water from Gwenhoro and White-Waters dams, where two water pumps are said to have been irretrievably damaged following a power outage.

In an interview, Gweru Mayor Councillor Charles Chikozho said the two pumps broke down last week after developing electrical faults.

He said council was struggling to meet daily water demand.

“The problem we are facing is that we have two broken down pumps at Gwenhoro and White-Waters which are our major water suppliers in the city.

“The problem emanated from a power outage that we experienced early this month. We could not pump water.

“When electricity was reconnected, the two pumps developed an electrical fault. They are now beyond repair so we are in real trouble.

“Our water pumping capacity has dropped to 30 mega litres from 60 mega litres per day, a development that has seen some sections of the city going without regular water supply,” he said.

Clr Chikozho said council was in the process of procuring new pumps and the process was likely to take two months.

It involves the tendering process, vetting, awarding of the tender and the actual procurement of the water pumps.

“That process is not a day thing and we advise residents to use water sparingly as we wait for the purchase and subsequent installation of the new water pumps,” said Clr Chikozho.

Meanwhile, vendors, money changers and pirate taxes in Gweru have defied Government directive to go to designated points.

Government last week gave them a 24-hour ultimatum to relocate to designated areas after they had become a ‘menace’ in the Central Business District.

Clr Chikozho said the local authority had no capacity to deal with the situation. “In Gweru, nothing has changed. “The situation is still the same and it is business as usual for them.

“We are yet to come up with a plan on how to deal with the situation.

“When the decision was made it was not made by council so maybe the other forces will give us assistance.

“As a council we have no capacity to deal with the situation.

“The last time we tried to deal with the situation some of our personnel were injured in the scuffle,” he said.