Govt casts doubt on fairness of Byo water rationing

Sikhumbuzo Moyo

Senior Zimpapers Reporter

The Government has challenged the Bulawayo City Council’s water rationing programme, suggesting the local authority is not being transparent.

Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, questioned why the city is pumping a significant volume of water daily, while most residents only have access to it two days a week.

The minister’s remarks follow suspicions that some areas of the city are receiving uninterrupted water supply.

Dr Masuka raised these concerns during a recent tour of the Nyamandlovu aquifer site, where he assessed progress by ZESA Holdings in securing transformer targets and reviewed water availability in the city.

“You are pumping 90 to 100 megalitres per day against a maximum demand of 165 megalitres, which is about two-thirds of the required supply, yet residents are only getting water for two days a week,” said Dr Masuka, responding to a presentation by the city’s director of engineering and sanitation, Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube, who was accompanied by Future Water Supplies chairperson, Councillor Khalazani Ndlovu.

“This suggests mismanagement of water distribution and favouritism towards certain consumers.

“It means there are people enjoying a 24-hour water supply all year round, while others receive water for just two days a week.”

Based on the council’s presentation, the minister said that technically, Bulawayo does not have a water shortage, but rather faces challenges with water conveyance.

Councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu, cited in the latest council minutes, said the system should be able to track progress once a report is made and provide information regarding delays in water supply restoration after water shedding or pipe repairs.

Councillor Felix Madzana also raised concerns that priority was being given to mainline water bursts, while smaller feeder pipelines were being overlooked, creating the impression that the council was slow to address water leakages in general.

City council’s chairperson of the Future Water Supplies Committee, Clr Ndlovu, said the local authority was not lifting the 130-hour water shedding schedule any time soon, as planning is informed by dam water levels.