Is the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) cutting water supplies to residential areas outside of the advertised water shedding schedule?

Claim: Water supplies to areas supplied water by Magwegwe, Criterion, and Tuli Reservoirs have been cut off outside the advertised water shedding programme.

Source: The Bulawayo City Council carried out a statement on 27 October 2019 stating that the reservoir levels had depleted beyond the critical level due to high consumption levels in the city, pumping challenges due to ZESA load and high temperatures affecting delivery of raw water to the City.

Background: Recently, the city Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni held an emergency water situation meeting to update stakeholders of an increase in the water shedding programme from 48 hours-72 hours, owing to a host of challenges affecting BCC’s capacity to provide water to the city.

He said the local authority was forced to introduce the 72-hour water-shedding programme due to electricity challenges and constant breakdowns at the city`s pump stations.

Verdict: True. Residents in Mahatshula, Magwegwe North, Selbourne Park, Nkulumane, Sizinda, Emakhandeni suburbs supplied by the three reservoirs have been having water cuts outside the water shedding programme.