The Engineering Department in the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has been tasked with ensuring that all areas in the city receive water during the restoration period, to prevent residents from going for long periods without water.
Speaking during the Full Council meeting, Ward 25 Councillor, Aleck Ndlovu, complained that some residents in his ward have not been getting water as per schedule for the past two weeks.
The city is currently undergoing a 120-hour water-shedding schedule, but some areas endure longer periods without water due to altitude.
“I want to speak to the internal dynamics concerning water restoration,” Cllr Ndlovu said. “As councillors, we are facing complaints from residents because of water restoration. We understand the dire situation of lack of water, but the challenge is that when the period of water restoration comes, some residents in certain locations in my ward do not get the water.”
He continued, “This has been ongoing for the past two weeks. The engineering department needs to look into the issue. We cannot have the restoration period coming and going without residents receiving water as expected.”
Addressing the water shortage situation in the city, Mayor Cllr David Coltart said the city council is actively engaged with the government to have it declare the city a water shortage area so that assistance can be sought from third parties.
Cllr Coltart said the council has a unified vision on the course of action needed to address the short, medium, and long-term water shortage problem.
“We have been having a series of meetings with the government about this issue,” he said. “If the city is declared, as we think it is, an area which should be declared a water shortage area, the necessity of that is that the city would then be able to approach third parties for assistance in the emergency work required.”
“I am glad that as a council, regardless of our various political divides, together with the council management, we have been able to reach a consensus with regard to the water crisis. We are united and know what measures should be taken to address this short-term water crisis.”
