Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube , Victoria Falls Reporter
RESIDENTS of BD46 section of Mkhosana suburb in Victoria Falls have been using septic tanks for the last 23 years due to the lack of a sewer reticulation system.
The suburb is in ward 11 and has hundreds of housing units.
Residents use septic tanks and many have reportedly resorted to using the bush to relieve themselves to avoid filling the tanks as it costs money to empty them.
Residents have implored the local authority to urgently service the area or buy a honey sucker to offload septic tanks when they get filled.
Residents hire private operators to offload tanks.
Some residents have dug more than one septic tank within their yards.
Mr Obert Dube, a resident in BD46 told Victoria Falls City Council authorities during a budget consultative meeting that residents feel neglected.
“Talking of water in BD46, we no longer know when we last had it. The councillor has even fled from the ward and is now staying at Low Density. For 23 years we have not had a sewer system yet we paid and continue paying for sewer services. Please do something. At least buy a honey sucker and we will see that you have the desire to treat us as people,” said Mr Dube.
Residents have implored the council to waive some service charges in areas that do not benefit from specific services.
The city’s engineer Ms Sherinah Sibanda said the BD46 sewer system was part of the council’s bigger plan for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) project that was mooted in 2014.
Implementation of the Wash project has been slow because of lack of funds and the local authority is courting investors to partner in water and sewer reticulation.
The local authority has said it needs about US$14 million for the Wash project which will include upgrading the water system and duplicating the existing piping, to address the challenges.
Ms Sibanda said the council is working on a housing expansion project and servicing will include BD46.
“It’s not like we have been doing nothing. In the past few years, we did something and connected about 33 houses for people living with disability. So the sewer issue is within our Wash project which unfortunately is not funded.
“BD46 needs an outlying sewer plant and so currently we are working on servicing another project and this will include BD46.
“Next year something is going to happen,” said Ms Sibanda.
The city is working on rolling out new serviced housing stands west of BD46 where a new sewer plant will be located to also service the old suburb.
With regard to water, the council recently disposed of a commercial housing stand and is using the money to build two reservoirs in Mkhosana suburb.
Ms Sibanda said the project is at tendering stage.
“We are currently in the process of procuring a reservoir. We are already working on it and it will be in place in the next six months. This will not entirely solve water problems but will ensure that once we open water, all Mkhosana sections will get it,” she said.
At the moment, some parts of Mkhosana hardly get water because of the lack of a reservoir as the council pumps directly to users.-@ncubeleon
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