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Midlands Bureau
A health hazard looms in Gweru after the entire city has gone for nearly a week without water.

The situation is dire in high-density suburbs of Nehosho and Senga which accommodate Midlands State University (MSU) students.

A single house in Senga and Nehosho usually accommodates at least 12 people as owners maximise on rentals from students.

Gweru mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe yesterday said the local authority was not pumping water after thieves stole power cables at its main waterworks.

He said the local authority notified officials at the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) on the issue but the power utility was yet to replace the stolen cables. “The situation is very bad, we have not been pumping for the last three days after thieves stole about 200 metres of power cables at our main waterworks. We have notified the ZETDC guys but we are also not sure when the cables could be replaced,” he said.

Clr Makombe said the local authority had repaired all leaks along the main pipeline which had been causing erratic water supplies in the city.

“After rectifying the problems that have been causing erratic supplies in the city, thieves then stole copper cables,” he said. Efforts to get a comment from ZETDC Midlands regional manager, Engineer King Dube were fruitless as his mobile phones were not reachable. Meanwhile, residents said the local authority should do something to avoid diseases outbreak.