Concern over the critical water situation in Bulawayo

By Tichaona Sibanda
29 September 2005

Public health officials in Bulawayo have warned that deficiencies in water treatment and delivery especially those due to an aging and deteriorating infrastructure pose serious threats to human health.

So concerned are the doctors in the city that they have told the Mayor, Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube that the situation will worsen unless measures are taken in the immediate future.

Church leaders held a crisis meeting with the Mayor on Thursday after realising that there was no indication that the water situation would improve.

Our correspondent in the city, Themba Nkosi told us that the mayor told the church leaders that the crisis was beyond his powers.

Nkosi said; ‘this is the second meeting by the mayor after the first one last week where he was grilled by residents who have been without water for the past two months,’

There is a growing threat of an outbreak of water-borne diseases in the city as many residents continue to use unprotected sources of water. Most of the water is now polluted with human and industrial waste.

It is well recognised that the prevalence of water borne diseases can be greatly reduced by the provision of clean drinking water and safe disposal of human waste. This is what the city of Bulawayo has failed to do in the last three months due to an aging infrastructure that dates back to the early 1950’s.