Qoki Zindlovukazi, a United Kingdom-based women`s organisation has pledged to supply Luveve residents in Bulawayo with water for six days after a diarrhoea outbreak claimed five lives in the suburb.
The residents claim the diarrhoea outbreak was caused by the city`s water.
In an interview with CITE, Sithule Tshuma founder of Qoki Zindlovukazi said they were disturbed by some videos of women in the area begging for clean water.
“Saturday, we woke up with videos of Luveve residents expressing their concerns in regards to the water that they have been drinking. As a result, as Qoki women we quickly came together and contributed funds towards helping the residents with clean water,” said Tshuma.
“When we saw videos of women begging for clean water and when we heard that lives have been lost, we thought if we can’t help these communities we would have failed as women.”
The charity organisation said they will deliver 20 000 liters to 750 households in Old Luveve, New Luveve, Luveve 5 and part of Gwabalanda.
“We put the money together and paid for a bowser which was disinfected for 24 hours by City Council, then we transport the water to residents,” she said.
Meanwhile, ward 15 Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) chairperson Semukelo Mkandla welcomed the gesture saying it will ensure residents have access to clean water.
“This is a welcome move as it comes as a relief to residents. This will go a long way in helping us because we now fear consuming tap water, even if we boil it there is no difference,” said Mkandla.
Another resident in the area, Ishmael Mkandla appealed to the organisation to work with residents associations to identify convenient collection points.
“The problem is that we are currently on level two of national lockdown where crowds should not exceed 50 people and in that case, people will end up being chased or beaten by the police trying to get a 20-liter bucket of water,” said Mnkandla.
“The other thing is that this ward is full of elderly people and the already affected sick people, they cannot afford to go to the mentioned focal points. We are just calling on them to work with residents’ associations in the areas to identify strategic points where the bowser would stop for a limited time to allow people within that vicinity to collect water before proceeding to the next block.”
Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has however temporarily exempted Luveve suburb from water shedding.
