Sanitation crisis hits Kwekwe bus rank

The City of Kwekwe is set to procure mobile toilets for its main bus rank after residents and commuters reportedly resorted to defecating in nearby bushes due to a lack of functioning ablution facilities.

The two permanent toilets at the rank have been undergoing renovations for nearly a year, leaving hundreds of bus passengers and traders without proper facilities.

Works Department Director, Engineer John Mhike, told a recent full council meeting that mobile toilets are being procured to provide interim relief while renovations continue.

"We have a functional toilet at the rank, but sometimes people just choose to relieve themselves everywhere, so education is also necessary. We are procuring mobile toilets for the public while waiting for the completion of the renovations," Mhike said.

Ward 9 Councillor Maxwell Judha criticised the council for not providing temporary facilities earlier. "We knew very well that renovations were coming, and mobile toilets should have been procured beforehand. We are winning awards yet residents are living in a dirty and smelly environment," Judha said.

Health Committee Chairperson Councillor Panyika Nyika added that illegal shabeens operating in the bus rank are worsening the situation. "Our municipal police should enforce the closure of all illegal bars in the rank because drunkards are urinating everywhere without using proper toilets. It's a messy situation caused by those selling beer," Nyika said.

Councillors urged urgent action to ensure the sanitation crisis at the rank is addressed before it escalates further, noting that the bus rank is a major transit point for passengers traveling to and from Harare and across the country.