Churches warn of looming disaster in Kezi

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CHURCHES in Kezi have appealed for urgent government intervention to avert a humanitarian disaster caused by water shortages as the area’s main supply dam is fast drying up.
File Photo
File Photo

CHURCHES in Kezi have appealed for urgent government intervention to avert a humanitarian disaster caused by water shortages as the area’s main supply dam is fast drying up.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Mabonyane Dam in Maphisa has for years been a source of livelihood for villagers in Mabonyane, but church leaders said the dam received insignificant inflows this year.

The Southern Eye was told the situation was so bad that students from Marinoha, Zamanyoni and Tjewondo primary and secondary schools had been skipping lessons to search for the precious liquid.

Churches in Kezi, a grouping of different church denominations founded in 2008, has mobilised stakeholders to meet at Mabonyane today to brainstorm over the crisis.

Reverend Bango Dube, co-ordinator of Churches in Kezi, said the situation had been made worse by the fact that a number of boreholes in Mabonyane village were malfunctioning.

“A big disaster looms for thousands of livestock and communities and we appeal for urgent intervention,” Dube said in an interview yesterday.

“The dam is drying up after it received insignificant inflows during the last rainy season.

“A number of schools have been affected by the water crisis as pupils are spending learning hours walking long distances looking for the precious liquid.

“The meeting we are hosting at Mabonyane Hall will draw councillors, government officials and many other stakeholders to find an urgent solution or intervention to this water crisis.

“We want to find what measures could be initiated to deal with the problem at hand.

“We are talking of having boreholes drilled in the worst affected areas.”

Matabeleland South received poor rainfall last season and the government has already advised farmers to destock, warning lack of water and pasture will result in massive livestock deaths.