By Ndumiso Tshuma
Residents in Lochview Suburb in Bulawayo have raised concerns about their health, claiming they are forced to fetch water from unclean sources and that when the municipality restores water, it also comes out dirty.
The residents said they were worried about contracting cholera, especially their children who do not wait for the water to be boiled.
This challenge adds on to the burden of having to look for alternative clean water or relying on neighbours who have boreholes or tanks.
Some residents claimed they were fetching water from an unclean water source next to McDonald Bricks in the Suburb to do their chores.
“We spend several months without water and we sometimes collect water from filthy areas just to do our daily activities. We mainly fetch water from the dam for our laundry and from neighbours who have boreholes. Some people are getting sick from that unclean water,” said Pardon Nxumalo, a Lochview resident.
Nxumalo also lamented that he had to ‘religiously’ pay his water bill every month yet no water came out of his taps.
“Sometimes you wonder what you are paying for because the city council water only comes for a few hours. It does not give us enough time to collect enough water that is supposed to at least last us for the month,” he said.
Munyaradzi Majoro echoed the same sentiments and added that Bulawayo’s water crisis has become too unbearable to the extent that he only uses water for strict domestic use.
“From the water I fetch from the neighbours, I am restricted to cooking, bathing and washing clothes. I can no longer water my vegetables as that is considered a luxury during this water crisis,” Majoro said.
“I hope this water situation can be resolved fast because I am tired of asking for water from my neighbours. I do have tanks but they are now empty because I don’t have a borehole.”
Another resident, Ishmauel Sibanda, said he fears becoming sick from the unclean water that comes out of the taps and opts to spend money filling his water tank.
“The water that usually comes out of the tap is dirty, maybe it’s the rust as well from the pipes. I fear my children and I will get sick of Cholera so that’s why I have to buy water even though the upkeep is now expensive,” said Sibanda.
“I spend US$80 dollars on water every two weeks to fill up my tanks, which is very expensive for me and my household. I have children that go to school and require this and that, meaning I can’t afford to buy water all the time.”
