The government is refusing to tackle increasing water shortages and instances of waterborne diseases in Bulawayo because of a struggle over control of the city’s water supply.
Unless local officials hand over control of the water supply to a government agency, the central authorities have said they will not help the residents of the second-largest city.
Resistance to a takeover is fuelled by reports that it has failed to tackle the water crisis in Harare and other cities. In the capital, residents of the poorer suburbs of Mabvuku, Tafara and Glen View sometimes go without tap water for up to four weeks at a time. Even the wealthy are beginning to suffer, with the water supply in the upmarket suburb of Glen Lorne drying up two weeks ago. And even where there is access to water, it is often unfit for human consumption.
Water shortages in Harare have led to doctors treating 900 cases of diarrhoea a day, according to the state-run Herald newspaper on August 20. ”We have decided to continue treating all diarrhoea-related cases free of charge,” says Harare health director Prosper Chonzi in the report.
The Bulawayo authorities have resorted to stringent water rationing, allowing residents water for only a few hours every three days.
In Harare, Gweru and Mutare the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), a government agency, took control of the supply and distribution of water after President Robert Mugabe’s regime fired opposition mayors and councillors and appointed its own commissioners.
But the Bulawayo city council has resisted a Zinwa takeover bid.
Situated in the heart of Matabeleland, 450km west of Harare, Bulawayo has battled for years with water shortages owing to drought and a rapidly increasing population.
The ambitious and expensive MataÂÂbeleland Zambezi Water Project, which plans to pipe water from the Zambezi River 450km away to Matabeleland, has remained a pipe dream for political reasons.
Even if there was the political will to see it through, the recession-hit government lacks the resources.
Bulawayo’s worst water crisis ever is compounded by the fact that government refuses to help unless the city allows a government agency to take control of the water.
City mayor Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube last week accused the government of trying to destroy the city. People are unable to bath or flush their toilets, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. Most people answer nature’s call in the bush or open public spaces.
While the effects of the water crisis may be similar in Bulawayo and Harare, analysts say the causes are different. Water shortages in Bulawayo are exacerbated by drought and the standoff over control of supply, whereas those in Harare are the result of gross mismanagement, inefficiency and a lack of planning as the city’s population expands.
”Harare is very different from Bulawayo,” said a Harare council employee who requested anonymity. ”Our water problems here are man-made. The shortages are mainly as a result of old pipes that keep bursting. A lot of expensively treated water is wasted through leakages.”
He said any deaths from water-related illnesses could be blamed on poor management of the city’s affairs. Since Zinwa took over water management in the capital a year ago, supplies have worsened. This has fuelled resistance by Bulawayo residents who say they have no faith in Zinwa given its track record. — IWPR