Raw sewage floods homes in Mzi­likazi sub­urb

Residents of Bulawayo's Mzilikazi suburb are living in fear of possible disease outbreaks after raw sewage flooded several homes following a sewer pipe burst, leaving an overpowering stench that disrupted festive season celebrations.

A visit to the S Square section of Mzilikazi revealed at least five houses inundated with sewage spilling from burst pipes, with foul-smelling effluent flowing through yards and pooling close to doorsteps. For affected families, daily life has become unbearable, with some residents spending the holidays surrounded by overflowing human waste.

One of the affected residents, Mr Samuel Chikwize, said the situation had become intolerable and accused the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) of failing to respond urgently to their distress. "It will be difficult for me to live under these conditions. I would rather be somewhere else. I reported the issue to the city council, but they did not treat it as an emergency and I doubt they will come anytime soon," he said.

Elderly resident Ms Elizabeth Ncube, who has lived in the suburb since the 1980s, said she had resorted to desperate measures to protect her home from the sewage. "I had to put a pipe to divert the sewage away from my yard. It's usually worse than this. Sometimes the water rises so high that it becomes difficult to get out of the house. If this continues, we will end up using toilets at sports bars," she said.

Another resident, who identified himself only as Mr Nyathi, described the situation as inhumane and called on the council to intervene without delay. "The council must help these residents. It is unacceptable for senior citizens to live like this. We can no longer even enjoy food because of the smell," he said.

Residents said while sewer bursts have been a long-standing problem in the area, the worsening conditions have pushed them beyond their coping limits.

According to recent Bulawayo City Council minutes, the local authority is grappling with a citywide sanitation crisis, recording between 90 and 120 sewer choke reports every day. Nkulumane suburb reportedly accounts for nearly half of all sewer blockages across the city.

The sanitation challenges are compounded by Bulawayo's chronic water shortages, with most suburbs receiving running water only two days a week. The city has previously acknowledged that limited water supply prevents solid waste from being properly flushed through sewer pipes, leading to frequent blockages and overflows.

In August alone, council managed to clear nearly 1 900 blockages, reducing the backlog from 823 reported cases to 338. However, residents say the interventions have failed to provide lasting relief.

During recent 2026 budget consultation meetings, residents across Bulawayo raised concerns that water shortages and sewer bursts continue to plague their communities, despite water provision being repeatedly cited as a top municipal priority. Ageing water and sewer reticulation infrastructure has further worsened the situation, resulting in recurring pipe bursts, leaks and heightened contamination risks.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor David Coltart has previously said the council is implementing a programme to replace its outdated vehicle fleet and restructure manpower, while prioritising the procurement of sewer repair materials. The city has also urged residents to protect public infrastructure and avoid disposing of solid waste into the sewer system.

Bulawayo United Residents' Association chairperson Mr Winos Dube said the crisis reflects deeper structural challenges facing the city. "Some of the city's older sewer lines, especially in high-density suburbs, are now too narrow to cope with the growing population. The City Fathers must invest in long-term water solutions. As long as residents only have tap water for one or two days a week, blocked sewer pipes will remain a persistent problem," he said.