Online Reporter
Lubelihle Moyo
FLIES buzzing, sewage bubbling and a smell that never seems to leave. For many Bulawayo residents, this is no longer an occasional nightmare but a daily reality.
From Cowdray Park to Njube, burst sewer pipes have become part of the neighbourhood scenery, turning streets, yards and school routes into foul-smelling danger zones. With water only flowing twice a week in most areas, residents say the city’s ageing sewer system is choking under pressure.
When water finally comes, instead of bringing relief, it unleashes chaos.
For Samkeliso Mavundla of Njube, water days now come with dread.
“When the water comes, the sewer erupts,” she said. “It would be better if it just flowed away to the river, but it stays stagnant. Now we fear for our children. Cholera can break out any time.”
The rainy season has made matters worse, spreading the waste further into residential areas.
“The solution is to repair the pipes. We understand they are old, but this is very dangerous, especially for young people and children,” said Mavundla. “Students at Njube High run through areas covered in dry and wet sewage. The council must inspect these trenches before water comes.”
In Cowdray Park near Garikai, the situation is just as grim. A burst sewer pipe near the Bulawayo Projects Centre has turned a school entrance into a health hazard.
One worker said a trench dug by council to unblock pipes has now become a sewage volcano.
“What was meant to help has become a nightmare. The same hole they dug is now erupting,” said the worker. “Students arrive carrying crawling children. When they try to cross the stagnant water, they step in it and walk into class dirty.”
He warned that if children start playing on classroom floors after walking through sewage, disaster could follow.
“This is a cholera alert waiting to happen.”
According to our sister paper Sunday News, in August 2024 the Bulawayo City Council hired contractors including Nambs Investments, Tokologo Technical, Saltavay Enterprises and Mine Assistance Company trading as MAC to assess and repair the city’s broken sewer network.
But residents and councillors say the stench is still very much alive.
Ward 17 Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo said there has been little visible improvement.
“We have not seen any change in our communities. People are still living with burst sewer pipes. When repairs are done, the pipes burst again shortly after. We need a permanent solution,” she said.
