Empumalanga residents go for weeks without water

Providence Moyo, Senior Reporter

HWANGE-Empumalanga Phase 4 residents are reeling under a water crisis that has triggered fears of cholera in the Hwange suburb. 

The community has endured weeks without water.

Speaking on Hwange City First Virtual Space, a Whatsapp group that interfaces Hwange Central residents with their MP Daniel Molokele,  the residents expressed their fears of contracting cholera and called on Hwange Local Board (HLB) to act. 

One resident with username, SamaTshu said the local authority was taking ages to respond to the situation. 

“The response on the water situation is slow, the meetings that our leaders are having on water are endless but cholera knows no meeting, once it strikes residents will suffer and lives will be lost,” they said.

Another  participant said HLB must conduct routine checks on service delivery rather than wait on residents to make reports.

In response, HLB said efforts were underway to restore water in the area. The local authority urged residents to pay their bills on time to capacitate it to respond quicker to faults.

Town Secretary Ndumiso  Mdlalose said, “…in council records there is a discrepancy of 18.6 million on the Zmbabwe National Water Supply Authority (ZINWA)  bill and council bill”, he said.

 Mdlalose added that preliminary investigations reveal that the ZINWA bulk water meter supplying Empumalanga phase 4 could be faulty.

He  revealed that council is working on establishing why there is such a discrepancy as he said this might have been caused by either council’s underchanging or ZINWA’s overcharging.

Mdlalose said while the local authority is working on a permanent solution, it is currently supplying water to residents through bowsers.