Concern over Byo state of sewer systems

Gracious Ndlovu and Tatenda Mkandawire

The inaugural Bulawayo Environment Summit and National E waste conference of 2021 held on the 10th to the 12th of March on the WhatsApp platform, to discuss strategies and measures to improve environmental management in Zimbabwe’s second largest city unearthed simmering concerns over the state of sewer systems in Bulawayo.

Residents participating in the summit aired a number of challenges ranging from the failure of the Bulawayo city council to maintain the sewer system to resident’s own incorrect and damaging use of sewers.

Arguments were raised in the summit alluding to the fact that the sewer infrastructure is now obsolete and too dilapidated to the extent that the pipes are now giving in to wear and bursting almost on a daily basis, thereby potentially causing major health risks. Due to the ever rising population in the city, the sewer system has been rendered unfit to meet demands of the teeming population.  

Participants cited a number of areas in Bulawayo where the sewer system leaves a lot to be desired. Pumula North and other old western surburbs of the city were listed as some of the worst-affected, where raw sewage and stenches emanating from drainage pipes are a common feature. 

Nomuhle Nyoni called attention to an area in the Central Business District where raw sewage water is flowing.
“ There is a terrible stench emanating from running raw sewage water as we speak, along Robert Mugabe street, between 5th and 6th avenue, ” said the unimpressed Nyoni. 

Questions were asked on the effectiveness of the Bulawayo City Council’s in fixing burst sewers with some speakers noting that it takes weeks if not a month to get a response from the council, as a result some sewers end up drying up on their own.

 Asked on the dangers posed by faulty sewers, several residents expressed fears of their children contracting diseases due to burst sewer discharges.

“Our children play on the streets and are exposed to contaminated environments due to burst sewers. Diarrhoea and cholera outbreaks may result from this situation. Moreover, these faulty sewers breed flies and mosquitoes which pose an existential threat to our communities,” said another participant.

 Some residents were worried that complacency in the city has crept in and is now lowering the standards of Bulawayo which was has for long been touted as the cleanest city in the country. The residents called for other dwellers of the city to stop practices that destroy sewers or exacerbate the challenges associated with burst sewers.

One contributor to the discussion accentuated the plight of disabled people in the midst of sewage water running down the streets.

“Disabled people who use wheelchairs or walking sticks are disadvantaged as they have to navigate through the sewage. These tend to be in contact with the unsafe effluent every time they move around in the streets,” he said.
In the penultimate phase of the summit, residents were given an opportunity to suggest possible solutions to help restore the city’s glory. Emphasis was put on expedite responsiveness of the authorities when complaints on burst sewers are lodged by residents. Some residents suggested an overhaul and transformation of the sewer system into a “more stable and functional system.”

The organisers of the summit, Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights assured all participants in the summit that relevant offices will be promptly informed about grievances and suggestions raised by residents. The online summit covered several topical issues affecting the city such as littering, grass cutting, storm drainages inter alia other issues.