Chronicle Editor
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) needs to urgently come up with a permanent solution to the issue of burst sewers in the city that pose a serious health risk to residents.
Yesterday, we carried a story about overflowing sewage at West Park Cemetery, some of it flowing into graves.
While already losing and burying loved ones is emotionally draining, the stench of sewage has added to the mourners’ woes as they have to navigate through the sewage to access the cemetery.
Added to that, mourners have to bear the terrible smell of the sewage as they bury their loved ones.
A Chronicle news crew encountered horrific sites of sewage effluent flowing into some graves that have since caved in and if this is not alarming enough for the city fathers then there is something terribly wrong at the City Hall.
Mourners decried the general state of West Park Cemetery saying the neglect is very disturbing.
“Seeing the casket of a very special person being carried over sewage for burial is disturbing. How does the council fail to attend to such an important place that also houses Lady Stanley Cemetery where Bulawayo’s heroes are resting? People had to jump over flowing sewage that was seeping into some graves,” said one mourner, who declined to be named.
Another mourner blamed the councillors for the state of West Park Cemetery and general decline of service delivery in the city.
“The driver of the hearse had a tough time trying to find a route with no sewage to get to the gravesite.
“I think we need a change of these so-called city fathers because they are a complete failure,” the mourner said.
“We had to endure the putrid smell of raw sewage as we buried our loved one yet we religiously pay our rates and service charges to enable council to attend to such issues. What is painful is that the deceased we buried today timeously paid her rates only to be accorded such a shameful send off.”
Broadly, the issue of unattended burst sewers is of great concern as almost every part of the city, especially in the western suburbs is affected by the issue which is threatening people’s health.
Recently, this publication posted pictures on its social media platforms of raw effluent flowing from a blocked manhole along Fife Street and 11th Avenue in the city centre.
This is not good for the image of the city as it threatens Bulawayo’s long legacy of being the cleanest city in the country.
After the publication of the pictures, the BCC swiftly attended to the burst sewer showing that they are able to do so and therefore it boggles the mind why they have left burst sewers around the city unattended.
Some of the Bulawayo suburbs that have been affected by burst sewers for months now include Luveve, Mzilikazi, Makokoba and Old Magwegwe.
As a result of the unattended burst sewers, last year about 100 people, mostly children, were treated for running stomachs in Mzilikazi and surrounding suburbs.
Flushing toilets in the affected suburbs results in a backflow of human waste that goes into houses.
In June last year, a diarrhoea outbreak in Luveve suburb killed 13 people and infected nearly 2 000.
In June this year, Emganwini suburb recorded diarrhoea outbreak which affected 51 households which residents blamed on the poor quality of water which they suspected had been contaminated by sewage.
If an urgent solution is not found to the issue of burst sewers, the city risks recording a massive disease outbreak that will overwhelm health institutions.
At a time when the country is battling Covid-19 which has claimed thousands of lives and affected many more the people cannot afford another disease outbreak especially if, unlike Covid-19, it can be avoided.
The BCC is therefore urged to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves to avoid loss of life.
Over the years Bulawayo has been celebrated as the cleanest city in the country, a legacy that all its residents take pride in.
It will be unfortunate therefore if the present occupiers of City Hall destroy that legacy by failing to deliver basic services.
By failing to do their job, the BCC must be told unequivocally that they become a threat to the people of Bulawayo.
Online Reporter