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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
Bulawayo’s acute water shortage that has seen the local authority failing to stick to its scheduled 48-hour water shedding programme has forced some schools to turn away pupils.
Teachers at a number of institutions that include Fusi Primary School in Gwabalanda suburb on Tuesday told pupils to return home because the school did not have water.
When Chronicle visited Fusi Primary School on Tuesday at about 11AM, the school was deserted.
Other schools such as Nkulumane Primary School in Mpopoma suburb have also previously sent away pupils due to lack of water.
Yesterday school authorities at some schools are also said to have told pupils to return home citing health-related issues.
The Bulawayo City Council introduced a 48-hour water shedding exercise after a major water pipeline burst in Esigodini two weeks ago.
The burst pipeline connects Ncema Water Treatment Works and Criterion Water Treatment Plant in Burnside suburb.
A Gwabalanda resident, Mr Nkosana Ndlovu, said the suburb has been experiencing erratic water supplies since council announced the emergency water shedding schedule.
“We had a water cut on Tuesday last week and supplies were restored on Saturday just briefly before the supplies were disconnected on the same day. Up to now we still do not have water and the council has not even provided water bowsers to avert any disaster. This has seen Fusi Primary School turn away pupils because of the water issue,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Ms Tendai Sibanda of Mpopoma said whenever water is disconnected for long days, Nkulumane Primary School also turns away pupils to avert a health hazard.
“This has become a norm. We now even think it’s normal but it is affecting our children. We had hoped that with the Covid-19 cases going down our children were not going to be affected but we are still having these disruptions. We hope council will solve these challenges so that our children’s education is not further disrupted,” said Ms Sibanda.
Primary and Secondary Education Director of Communication and Advocacy Mr Taungana Ndoro said:
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education through it’s education strategic plan has ensured that there is a borehole at every school nationwide. Not only in Bulawayo but in areas with critical water shortages. In Bulawayo there are also alternatives of water bowsers to make sure there is no lost learning and teaching time. So if there is no water there are water bowser delivery trucks that will come to those schools so that teaching processes are not disrupted and this does not only happen in Bulawayo.”
Bulawayo Health Services Director Dr Edwin Sibanda encouraged schools to engage his office on how to handle large crowds during a water crisis.
“These institutions have health coordinators that are attached to them so we encourage them to get in touch with officials from my department who will inform them how to cope in the midst of minimal water. My officers are ready to assist,” said Dr Sibanda.
He said his department cannot prescribe on when to evacuate premises but all decisions they take are in the interest of public health.
Engineer Dumani Gwetu of BCC’s Water branch said some residents were hoarding water making it difficult for council to stick to a 48-hour water shedding programme.
“To date some panic hoarding of water has set in among some residents which has adversely affected demand of water and this has resulted in the system struggling and collapsing. This means that under such a scenario it becomes difficult to resort to a 24-hour water shedding regime because it will become a challenge under the 24-hour shedding regime to observe supply without interruptions which go beyond 24-hours,” said Eng Gwetu. — @nqotshili
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