Online Reporter
Ronald Mpofu
PLUMTREE residents are crying foul as their taps run dry for days on end, forcing families to queue at bush pumps and fetch water under the cover of darkness.
The once vibrant border town has been plunged into a severe water crisis following the introduction of a water-shedding schedule by the local council. Some residents say they now only get water for a few hours, usually between 2AM and 5AM, if at all.
“We only get water at very odd hours,” said one frustrated resident while filling buckets at a bush pump. “Sometimes it reaches our houses, sometimes it doesn’t. We have to wake up at 2AM hoping we’ll be lucky.”
The situation has also hit local businesses hard. Fast-food outlets and restaurants are battling to maintain hygiene standards as the precious liquid becomes scarcer by the day.
Town Secretary Thembelani Nyoni admitted the municipality is struggling to keep the taps running, blaming the crisis on unpaid bills and skyrocketing production costs.
“Water services are supplied on a cost-recovery basis,” he said. “Users have not honoured their water and rates bills, which now stand at ZiG8,268,702.75 and ZiG81,333,828.43 respectively. This has left the council unable to buy treatment chemicals, electricity tokens, or carry out maintenance.”
Nyoni said the council’s hands are tied until residents pay up.
“The council appeals to all users to meet their obligations. Normal service will resume when outstanding debts are cleared,” he said.
For now, however, Plumtree remains bone dry, and residents are running out of patience, water, and sleep.
