Residents of Pumula have urged Bulawayo’s Members of Parliament to intensify their efforts in pressuring the government to address the ongoing water crisis in the city.
This call to action was made during a community meeting hosted by Accountability Lab in collaboration with the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) at Old Pumula Hall on Thursday.
The residents made this call in response to remarks by Pumula Constituency MP Sichelesile Mahlangu, who stated that local MPs are actively working to push the government to tackle the city’s water issues.
“We are doing our best to make sure that the government addresses our plight. We have agreed as MPs from Bulawayo that we will demand a ministerial statement from the responsible minister, on what measures are being put in place to address our problem. The situation we are in is very dire and it requires all hands on deck to find a solution,” Mahlangu said.
A resident from Robert Sinyoka, a peri-urban area. suggested that the MPs must push harder for a positive response from the government.
“It has been a long time since the issue of water in Bulawayo has been tabled before the government. Demanding a ministerial statement will not help. Rather all the MPs boycott the Parliament until this matter is resolved because as it is, we are not being listened to. So many calls have been made for the city to be declared a water crisis area,” said a Pumula resident.
Programmes and Campaigns Officer at Accountability Lab Zimbabwe, Zibusiso Dube, reiterated that the government needs to be accountable to the citizens and declare the city a water crisis zone so that alternative avenues can be explored to address the crisis.
“When we look at the efforts being done by the city council, we can see that they are doing their best. In July the council had a clear outline of the immediate, midterm and long term plans of how to address the water situation. It clearly stated how much money would be needed to accomplish such,” Dube said.
“What is needed is the political will to avail the required money. The city must also be declared a water crisis zone because the challenge we are facing is too dire. There is a need for accountability from all parties, council and government as well as us as residents. We should also pay our dues to the local authority so that the council may have adequate resources to address some of these challenges.”
