Bulawayo councillors have proposed that the city holds an all-inclusive water indaba aimed at tackling the city’s water challenges.
As Bulawayo reels from water shortages, the council has developed short, medium and long-term strategies to address the situation.
The city is currently implementing a 130-hour weekly water shedding programme, which is sometimes disrupted as the local authority struggles with aging infrastructure that is prone to bursts, interrupting supplies.
This has resulted in residents not receiving water according to the scheduled water shedding programme.
Ward 22 councillor Mmeli Moyo moved a motion during a full council meeting for the holding of a Bulawayo Water Indaba, which will bring together policymakers and technocrats in Bulawayo to discuss the city’s water situation.
“This issue has created a conflict between city council and residents, who assume we are failing to deliver water,” Moyo said.
“They need to understand that this is an issue of money, as the city simply does not have the funds.
“We need a more stakeholder-driven approach, especially involving the government.
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“We need to call local ministers and all forces here in Bulawayo so that we can have a multi-stakeholder conversation to discuss the issue of water.”
Moyo said it does not help for stakeholders to vent their frustrations on council staff when the challenges require financing which the city does not have.
Ward 25 councillor Aleck Ndlovu supported the initiative.
“It is actually a risk factor to have water shortages. It is also a risk factor to investment,” Ndlovu said.
“This is a passionate plea; if the government can prioritise the construction of the Gwayi/Shangani Dam with committed funding, we can have lasting solutions.”
Ward 9 councillor Donald Mabuto said it would be prudent to approach Finance minister, Mthuli Ncube, so that he gains an appreciation of the challenges affecting the city.
“If some of the issues listed in the city’s short and medium-term strategies are funded, then we will see an improvement in water supplies,” Mabuto said.
He further said council should reignite the debate on lobbying for Bulawayo to be declared a water shortage area.
Mayor David Coltart said the council had engaged the government regarding the City’s water challenges.
He said these engagements had led to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Anxious Masuka, setting up a Bulawayo Water Technical Committee
“There is no dispute between us and the government on what needs to be done,” Coltart said.
“In recent weeks, the reason why residents, particularly in high-density suburbs, have gone for such long periods without water is not due to a lack of raw water, but the inability to pump the water from Ncema up to Criterion and Tuli.”
Coltart said he agreed with councillors that government should inject more funds to address the City’s short-term water challenges.
