VILLAGERS in some parts of Umzingwane district in Matabeleland South have resorted to drinking water from unprotected sources as most wells begin to dry up.
ALBERT NCUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
Headman Absolom Bhaka said Sibambene villagers in Nswazi area have resorted to using dam water as the only borehole in the area could not cope with demand.
“We have one borehole for 100 households in this area, a situation that has seen many people resorting to dam water for survival,” the tradition leader told Southern Eye.
The headman said he feared an outbreak of waterborne diseases as people were now sharing water points with domestic animals.
He said the water problem had been worsened by poor rains in the past five years due to climate change.
“We need more boreholes and our dams should be rehabilitated to avoid siltation,” Bhaka said.
Meanwhile, residents in some parts of Gwanda town have gone for almost a week without water due to burst pipes and incessant power cuts.
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Residents in high lying areas of Spitzkop and Ultra High have accused the Gwanda Town Council of doing little to address the problem.
“We are now living like rural people as we are forced to fetch water from boreholes,” Ntombikayise Moyo said while fetching water from a borehole at the Old Gwanda Zintec campus.
“Surprisingly, no-one has bothered to tell us what is happening with the water.”
Council authorities say pumping of water to suburbs like Spitzkop and Ultra has been affected by power cuts that have seen the town going without electricity for 12 hours a day.
