Gwanda Residents cry over water problems

Gwanda Residents have cried foul over the escalating water problems bedeviling the mining town.

The problems of water in the town were made public during a meeting conducted by the Gwanda Residents Association on Friday to give an update on the developments regarding the critical water situation currently being experienced in the town.

The association's secretary general Bekezela Fuzwayo thanked residents who filled Jahunda Hall to capacity. He acknowledged the the presence of Gwanda Central Member of Parliament Edison Gumbo and former Town Clerk Gilbert Mlilo who attended as residents is highly appreciated.

"After being updated that the Residents Association failed to get an audience with ZINWA officials who refused to meet with the residents and stakeholders to discuss the issue and that residents representatives and stakeholders were also excluded from the trip to meet with Ministry of Local Government officials in Harare, the residents then passed the following resolutions," he said.:

"That ZINWA must leave the Water Treatment Plant and hand it over to the Municipality Of Gwanda immediately and the two parties enter into an agreement how the ZINWA debt will be settled with ZINWA out of the water administration system in Gwanda."

The residents also said all Gwanda Residents and Stakeholders of Gwanda will on Wednesday the 19th of October hold a peaceful demonstration to present a note to Council and ZINWA officials demanding that ZINWA hands over the pump station to council immediately.

They also agreed that the previous resolution that Council should not pay any money to ZINWA for water until ZINWA hands over the pump station to council remains in place, that the previous resolution that residents stop paying Council for water until ZINWA hands over the pump station to council remains in place and that a letter inviting Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to attend the Gwanda water impasse be urgently written to the Vice President through the office of the Matabeleland South Minister for Provincial Affairs.

Fuzwayo said iot was resolved that another letter with all the demands of the issues relating to Gwanda water challenges be written to the Member Of Parliament for Gwanda Central for him to take to Parliament to the attention of the Minister responsible for Water at the next Parliament question time and the Minister responds there to within the Parliament stipulated 14 days.

"Gwanda Residents Association therefore calls on all residents and stakeholders of Gwanda to join the peaceful demonstration on Wednesday the 19th starting from Phakama Business Centre at 9:00 am," he said.

"We also urge residents not to pay their water bills as resolved until ZINWA hands over the plant to the Municipality Of Gwanda. We also implore council not to pay any amount of money to ZINWA until the ZINWA issue is finalised. The residents agreed to endure the water cuts that will come as a result of the collective protest refusal to pay for the water until their grievances are met. ZINWA should then prepare to face up with the legal, health and social consequences that will arise as a result of the water cuts that will follow."