Bulawayo Proportional Representation Councillor, Melisa Mabeza, has proposed that the council shut down Burombo flats in Nguboyenja for renovations to improve the living conditions for the inhabitants.
The council-owned flats have long been condemned as unfit for human habitation.
Cllr Mabeza proposed during the latest Full Council Meeting while they discussed the issue of perennial burst sewer systems around the city.
The councillors noted that the city council must come up with permanent solutions to address the issue of sewage, citing that the continuous flows pose serious health hazards to the residents.
“The living conditions at Burombo are not good for people’s health. If that place belongs to the city council, we would rather close it and have it renovated. There are cases of children who have been electrocuted. Some of the power cables are dangling close to water on the ground,” Cllr Mabeza said.
“Last month there were two deaths emanating from such incidents. There is also the issue of sewage, which flows from Thorngrove into their area. Their living conditions are really disheartening. Most of those children are not even in school. Can we not come up with a plan to get the place fixed and make it more habitable?”
Ward 21 Cllr Tinevimbo Maposa complained that some sewer hotspots have been existing since 2018.
He accused the council of lacking seriousness and urgency in attending to the sewer challenges.
“In 2018, we always had sewer challenges. We are continuously facing them. They started before I even became a councillor in 2018. In my ward, there are areas which are known to be hotspots, and we have been talking about them. At times we even take management to those areas,” he said.
“But now, six to seven years later, nothing has been done to solve those issues. At some houses, occupants are no longer using some of their entrances and doors because of the perennial sewer flows. We can’t be talking about sewer for over ten years. How long does it take to fix a pipe? If the dilapidated ones are not being fixed, let us at least remove them and put new ones, we can’t take this many years talking about the same thing.”
Ward 19 Councillor Lazarus Mpandwe said: “There are perennial sewer bursts in our area. We fear an outbreak of diseases. When you go towards Robert Sinyoka, the sewer flows get more intense. There is a strong stench, and there are flies. Can we please get something done about that challenge?”
However, some of the councillors said residents are to blame for the sewer problems because they dispose of material that blocks the system.
“We appreciate that the shortage of water and sewage chokes are twin issues. But apart from the shortage of water, while there may be engineering design defects, dilapidated pipes, there is a factor that we must not run away from – the fact that as councillors, we must conduct awareness campaigns to encourage residents to take care of their sewer piping systems. Some residents dispose of sanitary pads, diapers, spoons, pieces of clothes, among other materials into the system. These things choke the sewage system,” said Ward 25 Councillor, Aleck Ndlovu.
Ward 9 Councillor Donaldson Mabuto explained that there is a lot of sludge that accumulates in the sewer system owing to water challenges.
“When there is no water, human waste clogs in the system. We once tried the “Big Flush” system where we were encouraging all residents to flush their toilets at specific intervals to help push the accumulated waste. It worked for a while,” he said.
“The other challenge is that we now have an expanded population. The system that we have is collapsing because it does not accommodate the amount of waste. We need to educate our residents on how to take care of the sewer system by desisting from flushing or disposing of waste that must not go into sewer systems.”
Ward 17 Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo suggested that the council engage engineering students from the National University of Science and Technology to find solutions.
“The committee can engage NUST students and come up with alternative ways to clear the clogged and perennially bursting sewer pipes. Some chemicals can be used to dissolve clogged waste. Sometime back there used to be some chemicals that were being used for such. We are in a water crisis era, and if we accept defeat, that means we shall stay with burst sewers all the time, which is something that we do not want,” she said.
