Gwanda water crisis persists

THE water crisis in this arid mining town is not improving despite indications by government that a solution would be found soon.

Early this year, Environment and Water minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was forced to intervene after the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) was forced to cut supplies to the town over a payment dispute.

Zinwa insists the town owes it $10 million in water bills, while council is adamant that only $3 million is outstanding.

Following Muchinguri-Kashiri's intervention, Zinwa was directed to ration water to council as opposed to cutting off supplies completely.

The Water minister also dispatched a commission on a fact-finding mission to Gwanda amid expectations that its report would highlight if the municipality had the capacity to run its own water system.

Four months down the line, the city fathers and desperate residents are disappointed over the delay by government in addressing the persisting water crisis.

Gwanda mayor Knowledge Ndlovu said council was still waiting for the feedback from government.

He said: "We are in the dark; we are still waiting for the communication from government, perhaps it's time we made a follow-up".

Gwanda Residents Association secretary-general Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo said it had taken too long for the commission's findings to be made known to expectant residents.

"When the minister's team came here we were made to believe that in just a fortnight the government's position will be known, but it seems its taking forever," he said.

"We have tried to talk to the minister and council to understand where the delay is in getting the committee's final determination on handing over the plant to council but there is no clear cut explanation.

"When we spoke to the minister she said she was attending to other councils while the Gwanda issue is still being considered by Cabinet.

"We fail to understand where the complications with Gwanda are, and these are not being explained to us as residents."

He added: " . . . we continue to suffer water rationing and water cuts that go for days".

"The situation has not improved, the water situation here remains a big problem," he said.

Fuzwayo added: "We have areas that have not had a drop of water since the rationing started in March.

"On average, most serviceable areas go for up to about four days with no water.

"Much of the town is now on prepaid water but still we get cut off so we no longer understand where the problem is."