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Muchaneta Chimuka Senior Writer
Water shortages in Chitungwiza and other urban areas around the country have left many people using borehole water for household chores.
At most boreholes, residents crowd and break lockdown restrictions as they try to fetch water. In so doing, they also put themselves at risk of Covid-19.
At the water points, sexual abuse cases of women and girls are also rife.
With the growing population in Chitungwiza the demand for water has exceeded supply.
This has resulted in conflict at these water distribution points.
Allegations of women and girls including those with disabilities experiencing sexual and gender- based violence (SGBV) have also been raised.
In 2008, when Chitungwiza was affected by cholera, some non-governmental organisations drilled boreholes. However, some are no longer working.
Others have since dried up worsening the situation especially during this Covid-19 pandemic period.
The closure of schools due to Covid-19 has also resulted in some parents sending their minor children to fetch water day and night.
This leaves them exposed to Covid-19, sexual, physical, emotional, physiological abuse and sextortion.
On Wednesday, girls’ rights advocacy organisation Shamwari Yemwanasikana; Community Water Alliance; Deaf Zimbabwe Trust; Police Victim Friendly Unit; and Partnerships Prevention of Violence Against Women and girls in Southern Africa launched an Anti-Violence campaign dubbed: Borehole Diaries “Unearthing and addressing the hidden and complex SGBV violations against girls and women at public water collection points in Chitungwiza”.
Shamwari Yemwanasikana director Ekenia Chifamba said they are working together to ensure that gender based violence at water collection points becomes history.
“We are working toward the formation of community clusters that will monitor the operations at the boreholes so that women and girls are protected. We also want to make sure that the issue of overcrowding is reduced as these boreholes are fast becoming breeding grounds for Covid-19,” she said.
She revealed that women and girls in Chitungwiza aged between 10-35 face high risk of gender based violence (GBV) when collecting water.
“Interaction with the community through other project activities shows how women and girls are vulnerable to abuse at public water collection points.
“We are raising awareness to these women and girls so that they know their rights. We encourage them to report such cases rather than protect the perpetrators of violence. We have statistics of these cases but they are not a true reflection of what is happening on the ground. Some cases go unreported,” she said.
Because of loss of income as a result of Covid-19, some women are allegedly exchanging sex for water. This has become a social ill, which in turn fuels the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
At the boreholes, people are forced to pay money by the water barons.
“There are no sanitizers and people will not be wearing masks. They do not wear gloves when pumping the water hence chances of spreading Covid-19 disease are high. Communities need support in terms of constant supply of PPEs,” she said.
Chifamba added that, to reduce such cases, water problems affecting residents should be addressed.
Founder of Community Water Alliance, Hardlife Mudzingwa said: “In Zimbabwe water is a basic human right enshrined under section 77 of the new Constitution. Residents of Harare, for example, endure days without access to safe and clean water. Chitungwiza is faced by perennial water crisis. The situation has become worse during this Covid-19 period as people spend several hours queuing for water.”
He challenged, Chitungwiza council to take action so that the dormitory town does not rely on Harare, but find local water sources.
He adds that it is inhuman to cut off supplies to poor residential areas.
“We have also experienced heightened water crisis this quarter. Women and girls spend many hours queuing for water at boreholes. Due to the crisis, most women and girls are facing various forms of abuse being perpetrated by self-appointed marshals that will be manning the boreholes,” he said.
This, he revealed, has resulted in the formulation of Borehole Diaries which documents all the issues.
Women and girls interviewed by The Herald said they wake up as early as 2 am to join queues at boreholes.
These are no longer safe spaces for them as some male borehole marshals abuse them.
“We wake up as early as 2 am to join the queue, only to fetch two buckets of water at 3 or 5 pm. The situation is worsening and these borehole marshals also hurl vulgar insults at us. When there is disorder, some men take advantage and start fondling women,” alleged Maria Zababoni.
Girls on the other end are no longer getting time to rest and do their homework. They have also complained of harassment at these wells and boreholes.
“During the weekend, we spend the whole day in the queues to fetch water for laundry. In order for us to fetch water quickly, the men at the boreholes ask for sexual favors. If you deny their advances, they forbid you from fetching the water,” said Tinotenda Maguranyanga.
The situation has gotten worse such that water is now being sold on the streets.
Such cannot be allowed to continue given that community transmissions of Covid-19 are going up.
Online Reporter