Kwekwe sitting on health time bomb

Midlands Bureau
REDCLIFF Municipality is discharging effluent into streams feeding into Kwekwe River, posing a serious health hazard to its residents.

In an interview, Redcliff Engineer Thembani Kundhlande confirmed the development.

He said their four sewer treatment plants have not been functioning for nearly two years.

Eng Kundhlande blamed a contractor, Drawcard, for stalling a reticulation project after being paid $300 000.

This was part of the $4 million grant for the rehabilitation of water supply and sanitation systems at Redcliff availed by the Zimbabwe Multi Donor Trust Fund in 2016.

Addressing town engineers and councillors during the Service Level Benchmarking (SLB) review tour in the Redcliff on Friday, Eng Kundhlande said Redcliff and Kwekwe was sitting on a health time bomb.

SLB is considered as one of the tools required to monitor and support recovery efforts in service delivery in urban councils.

“Zimbabwe Multi Donor Trust Fund availed a $4 million grant for the rehabilitation of Redcliff council water supply and sanitation systems and a contractor Drawcard won the tender and received $300 000 to kick start the project.

‘‘We then handed over our four sewer treatment plants to Drawcard and it was supposed to have completed the rehabilitation works by December last year of which they have failed to meet their end of the contract.

‘‘As a result, we have been discharging raw sewer into the water bodies which feed into Kwekwe River thereby posing a health hazard to our residents and those downstream in Kwekwe.

‘‘It is by grace of God that we have not recorded any fatalities,” said Eng Kundhlande.

He said they have since sought Government intervention.

“We have written to the Ministry of Local Government expressing our displeasure at Drawcard which has failed to play its part in the deal because we can not continue discharging effluent into water bodies. We are therefore waiting for the Ministry’s way forward. We can not continue like this. Residents’ lives are at risk,” he said.

At the Rutendo Reservoir structure, the engineers and councillors were shown a two roomed structure constructed by Drawcard.

Eng Kundhlande said Drawcard was yet to put a perimeter fence to provide maximum physical security to prevent unauthorised entry and tampering with the contents structure and other mechanical works.

Two Drawcard officials present during the tour refused to comment on the allegation laid by Eng Kundhlande.

“We are just employees and we can not comment,” said one of them.

The tender given to Drawcard involves replacement of water pipes in the water. On the sewerage side, corroded steel sewer pipes are supposed to be dismantled and replaced.

Sewer ponds must also be rehabilitated.