Story by Patience Nyagato
Residents of Mbare have made a passionate plea for government to intervene and address service delivery challenges in the high-density suburb.
This comes at a time when the opposition-led Harare City Council has left residents exposed to cholera due to poor waste management.
Burst water and sewer pipes as well as uncollected garbage are the order of the day in Mbare and other suburbs in Harare.
The residents poured their hearts out on their daily challenges when two cabinet ministers, Honourable Daniel Garwe and Dr Sekai Nzenza embarked on an assessment tour of the suburb in the wake of cholera cases being recorded countrywide.
“We use these toilets together with people who are in the market. I can’t even guess how many people use these toilets on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they are the ones we use as new-line residents. The situation is dire,” said a concerned resident.
“We now have serious water challenges because one of our boreholes is not working, so we use this one which is close to the sewer,” stated one of the affected residents.
“Our hope is to get more amenities here because in as much as we try to fight cholera the conditions here are bad. I hope the government will help us,” added another.
The government pledged to intervene after the residents were let down by the local authority.
“It is not the government which has failed you; it is the council. That is why as a government we are here to rectify the challenges so that you have a lifestyle that the President expects,” said Acting Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe.
“The President’s vision is that no one should be left out in health, housing and development. That is why we are here. We want to build our country. Cholera should be contained but this can’t be done if we stay in a burst sewer. Let’s see what we can do,” he added.
“Through the President’s Whole of Government approach different departments all come together to implement the President’s vision to ensure that their basic good accommodation for every Zimbabwean, basic hygiene and basic access to health, water, shelter so that generally, Zimbabwe is in a safe environment,” said the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sekai Nzenza.
As part of efforts to address the cholera scourge, the government has prioritised water supply and sanitation issues in various parts of the country.
