Squatters water proposal rejected

The Bulawayo City Council says it has no budget to provide water services to squatters at Ngozi mine because the settlement is illegal.

Deputy mayor Mandu Ncube said this in reaction to calls by Ward 2 councillor Joyce Ndlovu for council to provide clean water to the settlement.

Ncube said providing water services to Ngozi mine would be akin to legalising the squatter camp.

“There is a council water tap there where they are allowed to get water, but not regularly,” Ncube said.

“We do not want to sanitise their stay there because they are not part of our budget.

But Ndlovu argued it was the duty of the local authority to ensure the squatters had access to clean water. —