Sundaymail Editor
Pretiosa Chimuti
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has reconnected water supply to Gwanda Municipality, which had been disconnected due to a $193 million debt.
The town had spent five days with water, forcing residents to rely on borehole water.
ZINWA recently embarked on a water disconnection programme to recover $2,4 billion owed by consumers.
However, supplies were reportedly restored after the intervention of the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), a non-governmental organisation.
“Yesterday, as ZELA, we wrote to ZINWA over the Gwanda water disconnections and expressed our concern.
“We are reliably informed that ZINWA has complied and reconnected water for Gwanda residents,” said ZELA on Twitter on Thursday.
“Our clients have been prejudiced of their right to clean, safe and potable water despite religiously paying their composite bills; suffice to say, the disconnection was done without a court order.
“Lack of access to water increases the risks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid or dysentery, as people will resort to unsanitary water sources, and with the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, the boreholes which residents are now crowding to collect water from can easily become hotspots of the pandemic.”
Online Reporter