Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter
The Chitungwiza Municipality has allocated US$5,1 million for the rehabilitation of its deteriorating sewer reticulation system next year, aiming to curb recurrent perennial outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases that have plagued the town.
Presenting the town’s 2025 budget, finance and development committee chairperson Councillor Peter Matiringe underscored the urgency of rehabilitating the town’s collapsing infrastructure as part of a broader vision of becoming a “Smart Heritage City” by 2030.
“In order to achieve our vision, we have budgeted US$5,1 million towards rehabilitation of our sewerage infrastructure that has collapsed,” he said.
“In our quest to address this impending situation, we are tackling the main hotspots, which are PaGomba, Tilcor, St Mary’s pump station 2 to pump station 3, St Mary’s trunk line, Zengeza outfall, Jambanja and Upper Seke outfall.
“This is evident in the hiring of a desilting specialist, who is concentrating on a 6,5km Seke sewer outfall and the rehabilitation of a 3,5km sewer line in Unit M that is ongoing.”
The municipality has already made strides in rehabilitating several critical sewer lines, including the St Mary’s trunk line near Forward Shopping Centre, where a network of 312 metres of sewer lines has been rehabilitated.
In Zengeza 3 Extension, contractors have rehabilitated 524 metres out of a targeted 600 metres, while in Seke South district, Unit M, about 516 metres of the Jambanja Market sewer line have been completed out of the targeted 700 metres.
Excavation work is underway along the 2,6km Upper Seke line in Seke North district.
Next year, work will begin on the 500-metre Unit C sewer line in Seke North.
The council plans to rehabilitate seven major sewer lines using funding from the Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
The proposed projects include: Upper Seke line, Seke North (1 500 metres); Jambanja line, Seke South (600 metres); PaGomba line, Zengeza 4 (1 200 metres); Tilcor line, Tilcor industrial area (1 400 metres); Zengeza outfall line (3 500 metres); Forward to Chiratidzo line, St Mary’s (1 500 metres); and St Mary’s 2 to 3 line (800 metres).
Cllr Matiringe said the rehabilitation programme was a crucial step towards improving public health, and aligns with the town’s developmental aspirations.
Online Reporter