Tshabalala residents have reacted angrily to claims by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) that some were taking advantage of the Diarrhoea outbreak in the suburb by pretending to be sick in order to receive handouts from donors.
Instead, the residents blamed the local authority for negligence when attending to burst sewer pipes in the area.
The diarrhoea outbreak began a fortnight ago and has claimed one life and affected hundreds of residents.
Director of the City Health department Dr Edwin Sibanda alleged that some residents were feigning illness in order to get donations from donors.
In separate interviews, the residents said after attending to burst sewer pipes, council staff would leave the pits uncovered which could have led to contamination of drinking water.
Tshabalala Extension residents’ association chairperson, Sibekithemba Mafengu, said the city council dug up pipes in his yard in June after he reported a sewer blockage but to date, they have not yet attended to the issue.
He said the water and sewer pipes are close to each other and due to leakages from both pipes, clean water gets contaminated leading to residents consuming dirty water.
Mambowa condemned the council sentiments that some residents were feigning illness to get assistance from donors.
He said all they want from the council as residents is value for the money that they pay for service delivery.
