Health problems hit Shackleton Mine due to lack of water

By Tererai Karimakwenda
06 July 2006

The former mining town of Shackleton outside of Chinhoyi has been without running water for weeks now and a health crisis is looming. Simon Muchemwa reports that the 650 homes that make up this small compound town are administered by the Chinhoyi town council and are located 25 kilometres from the town Centre along the Alaska Road. Muchemwa said the nearest source of water is the Angwa River which is 5 kilometres away in one direction and the Hunyani river which is even further in the other direction.

Without running water the toilets cannot flush. Many residents have built Blair toilets but Muchemwa said there are piles of waste in many places. An outbreak of measles has already hit the town but something more serious could develop if no running water is made available soon.

Muchemwa said the residents of Shackleton were moved there from a nearby farm where cholera had started to spread. At the time the small mining compound was owned by The Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation. There was running water when the Chinhoyi council took over but no maintenance work has been done on the pipes. The council has told the residents there is no money for spare parts either. But this is not what they were promised.