WATCH: Villagers need help to build dam

Lovemore Dube recently in Lupane
VILLAGERS in Masungamala, Lupanda area in Lupane District are appealing for assistance towards damming a stream in their area to provide water for both domestic animals and the community.

The situation has been described as dire for both animals and humans as some families cannot afford to drill boreholes.

There is no dam that services the area.
A representative of the community, Mrs Sipho Mabhena, said they often rely on pools of water that form after rains but they tend to dry up quickly because they are shallow and are in sandy areas.

“We have never had a proper water source in this area. When it’s raining we opt to drink water from the pools that form and we often share the water with our animals making it not very safe but we have no option,” she said.

“When the pools dry up, we use water from wells which are distant from most villagers and this means that we cannot meet our needs. We are looking for help to dam the stream that passes through our village so that we have better access to water. We have been struggling to conduct farming throughout the year, opting for seasonal farming and this makes our life difficult because we have to buy vegetables,” she said.

Mrs Mabhena said those with gardens cannot do them throughout the year owing to the short period before the pools and some wells dry up disadvantaging the largely farming community.

“The villagers have identified a place where they think damming one end will provide them with a source of water for their animals and the community. The dam, if it materialises, will provide water for communities to do agriculture,” she said.

Another concern for the villagers according to Mrs Mabhena is that of a bridge along Mbembesi and Gwayi rivers.
She said when the rivers are in flood or sometimes just a decent flow, they tend to cut them from Lupane and Bulawayo for essential services.

Sunday News caught up with Mrs Mabhena at a sports gala organised by the alumni of six primary schools in Lupanda which is spearheading activities with a positive social impact in the area.