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Blessings Chidakwa-Municipal Reporter
Sewer bursts in Warren Park over the past six years see some households forking out as much as US$30 weekly to private plumbers to repair sewers that municipal staff cannot or will not come out to fix.
Yesterday it was the turn of 24th Crescent where raw sewage was flowing all over the road giving passers-by including school learners a hard time to navigate.
Granny Stella Kujeche of house number 2966, 24th Crescent Warren Park 1 said the situation was unbearable.
“I have been battling sewer bursts over the past six years. I have two manholes in my backyard which burst at least every week. If we make reports the council officials take forever and when they burst there will be raw sewage all over the yard. We end up resorting to local plumbers who charge us exorbitant fees. The one that came on Monday charged me US$30,” she said.
Granny Kujeche said was forced to pay the US$30 which she shared with her tenants as the situation was unbearable.
“It became worse about six years ago. We would constantly report the bursts although receiving mixed reactions. In some instances, they would attend, but most of the time we hire private plumbers to repair,” she said.
Another resident from 3rd Street who only preferred to be named as Mai Shingi said the local authority has failed to attend to the perennial sewer bursts.
“The council has simply failed to address the root cause of the sewer. We cannot have a situation where plumbers attend to sewer bursts each and every week.
“The noble thing is for the council leaders to resign,” he said.
Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme yesterday said their team was on high alert to attend to such cases.
“With regards to water and sewer bursts we are attending to those as and when they are reported to us.
“Our surveillance team from the Harare water department also moves around the city identifying those and attending to them,” he said.
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