Bulawayo water projects 'abandoned'

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has been blasted for dragging its feet on the implementation of key water projects in the city that were identified as urgent measures in addressing the water crisis, a situation that might see the local authority exposed if faced with water shortages in the future.

The city council has since the start of the rain season, stopped the implementation and fund-raising mechanisms meant for projects that were identified at the height of the water crisis in the city. Residents at one point had to endure a miximum of 96 hours a week without any water supplies as the municipality tried to spread the available water supplies.

Close to two years after the water crisis committee was formed to help set in motion water projects meant to act as short term interventions to the perennial water shortages, none of these projects have seen the light of day and with the improved rains the local authority has largely set aside some of these projects.

Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairperson Mr Winos Dube said the local authority was exhibiting clear signs of double standards as while they wanted to portray the notion that they were prioritising the water situation in the city, it was clear that they had now relaxed in implementing these projects.

"This has happened time and again, every time when we have a water crisis then the rains start again. The city council forgets about all the projects that had been set in motion during the crisis period only to revisit these projects once we have another crisis.

"It clearly makes no sense at all because one would expect the local authority to be busy ensuring that they take advantage of the good rains to push some of these projects that were identified because one fact is we all know that we will once again be faced with a similar crisis like the one we faced last year," said Mr Dube.

He said Bulawayo's water problems were perennial and clearly needed the local authority not to relax but set their priorities straight in ensuring that they implement the water projects.

"I think it is a matter of setting their priorities straight, ask me and I will tell you that they cannot be talking of pre-paid water when we know that in the near future we will be faced with a water crisis, they should be telling us what is happening in terms of implementing the projects that were identified first.

"Right now we had an all-stakeholders water crisis committee that was formed at the height of the water crisis but it now seems the council has since disbanded it because I doubt whether they have ever met just this year alone," he said.

Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said the water problems in Bulawayo were a known over-hanging issue and it was important for council to work with Government in the implementation of some of the projects that had been identified to address the problems.

"Those projects should now be the priority of the local authority as they can help to totally rid the city of the perennial water challenges. It is my belief that the local authority should take advantage of this current wet spell to implement some of the projects so that they avoid a crisis in the future. We cannot allow a situation where the city goes back to the scenario where they went for four days without water supplies," said Kasukuwere.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said these projects were fund-based and the council was not taking a backseat in implementing them but was exploring all avenues to ensure they got the resources to push them forward.

"We are really grateful for the rains that have been availed to us by the Lord, as you might know some of our dams are now 100 percent full but yes I must agree that we must not relax in terms of implementing projects that we identified so that we have a permanent solution.

"However, all these projects are fund-based and we have to work hard to try and raise funds meant for these projects. The goal is to implement the short-term projects then we can focus on the long-term projects," said Clr Moyo.

When the water crisis committee was initially formed in 2012, the then Minister of Water Reources, Management and Development, Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, gave the impression that the governments of Germany and Australia had made commitments to cover the major costs of the emergency projects in the city with $991 750 meant for the rehabilitation of 26 faulty boreholes at the Nyamandlovu Aquifer, which was expected to be complete in four months.

There was also $277 300 that was said to be meant for the setting up of a dedicated power supply for two booster stations; Rochester and Cowdray Park in order to avoid load shedding. The project was expected to last two months, which was within the four months it would take to revive the Nyamandlovu boreholes.

Meanwhile, according to the latest supply dam statistics, the dams are 78,29 percent full, with Mtshabezi and Insiza Mayfair both 100 percent full, Lower Ncema 91,5 percent full, Umzingwane Dam 70,4 percent full, Upper Ncema 66,5 percent full while Inyankuni Dam is 25,7 percent full.