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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent

Chitungwiza residents have blasted their council for failing to attend to sewer bursts in the town.

There has been an increase in sewer bursts in the last few days, allowing raw sewage into streets and creating serious health hazards.

The residents said they have made several efforts to have the sewer pipes repaired, but to no avail as the municipality always fails to deliver on promises. Council attributes the rise in bursts to water shortages that mean residents are unable to release enough waste water to flush out the sewers, so they clog and burst.

A tour of the town revealed that all the 25 wards in Chitungwiza were experiencing sewer bursts with Zengeza 4, Unit G Extension and St Mary’s, being the most affected.

Residents Association of Chitungwiza Trust secretary general Mr Stanley Makwiramiti said the municipality was failing to address the sewer problem.

“There are sewer bursts in all the 25 wards and council is turning a blind eye to the issue which has been ongoing for almost five months now,” he said.

“If we ask the council on their current position in terms of fixing sewer leaks, they say the sewer infrastructure is old and needed to be rehabilitated. 

“As residents we are fed up with their excuses and we need to demonstrate because we are living on a health time bomb. Some of the sewage is flowing in houses in Zengeza 4.”

Mr Makwiramiti said the trust had made several reports to the municipality but no response has been forthcoming. Chitungwiza public relations officer Mr Lovemore Meya said the council was working tirelessly to resolve sewer problems and encouraged residents to report sewer bursts to council.

“The assertion that we are not attending to sewer problem is far from the truth owing to the fact that we are actually attending to sewer blockages,” he said. 

“Due to inadequate water supplies that we are currently experiencing, it becomes a challenge to transport the waste and as a result it clogs the system thereby causing blockages and eventually bursts.”