Talent Chimutambgi Herald Reporter
Overwhelmed sanitation, malfunctioning water pipes and public taps, and uncollected garbage in Mbare, with Harare City Council doing nothing to alleviate the serious health hazard, is seeing Government starting to move to rescue residents.
During a tour of New Line houses in Mbare by Acting Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe said the Government would have to intervene in an area where Harare City Council was supposed to exercise its municipal powers and provide and run the services, upgrading the worst of colonial infrastructure.
Government has moved swiftly to contain the spread of cholera, confirmed in parts of SADC, and seen in some western suburbs of Harare.
Mbare residents indicated that the city council was neglecting them, and not providing the sort of amenities expected in the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa.
More than 5 000 residents are using two public toilet blocks constructed in 1912 during the colonial era and were never replaced by the opposition led city council which has the mandate to do so.
The ablution facilities are mismatching the population leading to perennial blockades and the sewerage is flowing everywhere which is a health time bomb.
After realising that the city council was wilfully disregarding the cleaning of toilets and removing of garbage, residents took upon themselves the task of cleaning, but without protective clothing and chemicals.
Mrs Yvonne Chisadza who cleans the female toilets said the situation was dire and the toilets were not matching the population causing frequent blockages.
She said they were using improvised tins to remove stools without preventive clothing and chemicals.
“Sometimes when the flushing system isn’t working, we use buckets and improvised tins to remove stool from toilet seats,” said Mrs Chisadza.
Mr Caleb Zvayi said they were appealing to the Government for intervening adding that the rentals and sewer connection fees were being hiked without services in return.
“We are paying sewer connection fees every month and we are not getting any service. Rentals are pegged at US$150. Sometimes we pay at interbank rate, but the council squanders the money without giving us better services. They have neglected us,” said Mr Zvayi.
Residents Association Mr Milton Muori said the situation was unbearable adding the area has been neglected for countless years.
Minister Garwe, who is substantive Minister of Housing and Social Amenities, said the Government had intervened in fulfilment of the mantra of leaving no one and place behind.
Minister Garwe said President Mnangagwa was committed to ending the woes that would threaten human security in terms of health.
He said the Government was constructing houses countrywide to ensure that people living under uninhabitable conditions are relocated to houses with better standards which speak to Vision 2030.
“We have toured the area and we have seen the state of the things, that there is no water hygiene and sanitation which are the basics of every human. Water taps are malfunctioning, the toilet’s flushing system is not working and sewage is everywhere.
“This is the result of the city council not carrying out their duty. We tried to engage them to be part of this entourage but they did not come, and we don’t know why they did not respond,” said Minister Garwe.
“President Mnangagwa gave us a task to construct houses with the thrust to relocate people living under such situations to better places. These structures were constructed during the colonial era neglecting the status of blacks,” he said.
Addressing the same gathering, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said that the Government would facilitate procurement of protective clothing and chemicals timely to ensure the cleaners are well protected.
“I came here last week on a mission to monitor prices of basic commodities in shops.
“This is when I witnessed that people are living in dire conditions. I then initiated with relevant stakeholders for this tour to come up with a solution to these challenges,” said Dr Nzenza.
Dr Nzenza said they had visited the place with the thrust to implement President Mnangagwa’s Vision.
Director of City Health Services Dr Prosper Chonzi said the challenges were emanating from that the pipes were too old.
“The same situation we are witnessing here is almost everywhere in Harare especially in the Western suburbs of Budiriro, Glen View and Glen Norah. It requires a holistic approach in order to counterbalance the spread of cholera. We will engage the department of water to ensure availability of running tap water ,” said Dr Chonzi.