Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda,
MRS Gladys Ncube from Pelandaba in Bulawayo was involved in an accident a few years ago as a result, she uses crutches to move around and this inhibits her from getting water.
The situation is further aggravated as Bulawayo is facing water challenges.
Mrs Ncube lives with her four minor grandchildren who are and even if they tried to fetch water for her it is not enough for the whole family.
Mrs Ncube said because of this she sometimes spends the whole day without bathing and eating.
“Here in Pelandaba water sometimes goes for as long as a week and it becomes hard for people like me who walk with an aid to fetch water. The worst part is that the borehole from where I stay is very far and going with a 20-litre bucket becomes a challenge. Because of my leg I take some pain relief pills which cause stomach bugs. If there is no water and I need the toilet I become really stressed,” said Mrs Ncube.
She said because of this she fears her home might end up breeding diseases because if she is really stranded and needs the toilet she resorts to using it and waits for her grandchildren to bring water for her after they come from school.
The woman said she also has tablets she is supposed to drink after she has eaten.
“But because of the water crisis, l sometimes do not eat the whole day and the water sometimes comes out of the tap dirty and we just fill our containers because we have no choice and we know if we don’t we might be left with less water. I end up thinking it’s better l drink the pills with dirty water than having no water at all,” said Mrs Ncube.
The city is enduring a prolonged water-shedding exercise as the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) struggles to pump water due to alleged power outages.
A lot of people are finding it hard to get by as some spend hours queuing trying to get water for their homes.
Some residents have resorted to waking up in the middle of the night to go and fetch water as there will be no queues waiting for them.
Of concern are the invalid and people living with disabilities as one questions themselves on where they get water as there are some of the vulnerable groups that are in serious need of water.
A caregiver who is taking care of a 97-year-old woman in Pumula South, Ms Siphethangani Tshabalala said the family of her patient now buy water from the young in the area who are able to go and fetch water from the borehole.
She said because her patient is not well she cannot leave her alone while she goes to look for water because there will be long queues at the borehole.
“A sick person is very vulnerable because they need a lot of water. Their clothes and blankets should always be washed with clean water and kept very fresh. The rooms they stay in are supposed to be always clean and they need to drink and eat food made from clean water. So when there is no water it becomes really difficult to do anything without compromising the health of the patient,” said Ms Tshabalala.
“Since I cannot go and look for water myself because if I leave my patient and something while I am not around I would have committed a big crime. The family sends money for water and I buy the water from these young men who are always idle at their homes. This has become a big cost because on top of buying water the family also needs to buy medicine, food and other essentials for gogo,” said the caregiver.
She pleaded with the council to consider putting jojo tanks or delivering water every day for such vulnerable people like her patient who is now old and is not feeling well.
She said that should the council do that these groups would be saved from a lot of trouble and they would not be stressed about water but focusing on getting better.
@flora_sibanda
Ends
Water woes f
Online Reporter