Staff Reporter
Residents in Luveve are planning to block an initiative by Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to relocate families that are affected by unrepaired sewerage pipes in parts of that residential area. This comes after councillors had implored the BCC to facilitate for the relocation of families that have endured 20 years of sewerage nightmare.
Thulani Ndlovu, a resident in Luveve questioned the rationale behind the relocation of more than ten families as well as re-building them new homes, as opposed to finding a permanent solution to benefit everyone.
“If Bulawayo City Council has the capacity to relocate 10 families and build them new homes then it goes to tell that they have enough funds to see to it that the necessary repair works go through.
“As Council their mandate is to ensure that Luveve is fit for dwelling by all residents and not just 10 families,” said Ndlovu.
Another resident Gogo Chisvo bemoaned their dilemma saying that negligence by BCC to address this matter resulted in a diarrhoea outbreak in 2019.
“It is worrisome to the elderly people like me because lack of priority has resulted in a health crisis in 2019 where 13 people died whilst more than 1000 people were infected. For council to save just 10 families and sacrifice more than 500 others is just sad,” she said.
Since the opposition took over the running of Councils, urban settlements in Zimbabwe have endured blocked sewerage systems, no running water in taps and lack of refuse collection. The rain season is upon us and because of unattended drainages, sewer and uncollected garbage; residents in high density suburbs are vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhoea; cholera and typhoid.
Recently, concern was raised over land racketeering by Councillors resulting in them concentrating on the looting of land as opposed to providing services to electorate. In the most recent act of thievery, the Harare City Council fathers are embroiled in the land scandal where they illegally parcelled out land worth a whooping US$5million to CCC Councillors, CCC Members of Parliament and their wives and concubines.
