Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, Online Reporter
A LOCAL high school has come to the rescue of Nketa residents by offering free water at a time when Bulawayo residents are enduring 130 hour water shedding and are forced to rely on unsafe open sources such as streams or buy bulk water from private players.
Bulawayo is going through one of its worst water crisis in recent years.
Residents are enduring long hours without water, which has deepened frustration across the city. Water shortages have long haunted the city, worsened by aging infrastructure, erratic rainfall and population growth. The situation has recently been compounded by frequent mechanical breakdowns and power outages affecting pumping stations.
Residents in high-lying suburbs such as Magwegwe, Cowdray Park, Pelandaba and Pumula have been the hardest hit, often going for more than a week without water.
Nketa residents will start accessing water from Maranatha High School via three taps connected to the school’s borehole system.
The taps were mounted outside the school perimeter fence so that residents do not disturb activities in the school while fetching the water.
Maranatha High School is owned by the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church.
“After months of negotiations and discussions between the Maranatha Primary School administration, the School Development Committee (SDC) and residents together with our local Councillor Tavengwa Zidya, the school finally allowed community members to access water from their borehole.
“We want to make sure that taps are secured to deter vandalism and then come up with a timetable that will guide residents when they can access water from the school. It’s important that the school children have adequate water during lessons so our timetable has to take that into consideration,” said local residents chairperson Mrs Sithabisile Hlongwane.
Some suburbs have gone for weeks without running water, forcing residents to rely on boreholes and water bowsers.
In Nkulumane suburb, a local resident is selling borehole water for US$1 for seven 20 litre containers.
Nketa Councillor Zidya said the agreement between residents and Maranatha High School is a reflection of positive impact that can be achieved when local communities and organisation work together.
“Such agreements are a true reflection of progress that Ward 24 can achieve when the business community, local institutions and residents work hand in hand,” said Cllr Zidya.
