By Paul Nyathi|Residents of Harare and members of the Community Water Alliance in Glen View and Budiriro have agreed to march to and hold a sit-in protest at City of Harare Glen View District Offices in reaction to the worsening cholera outbreak in Harare.

The protests which was still gathering momentum at the time of writing is to push the City of Harare and Government authorities to speed up containing the epidemic that has claimed over twenty people and hospitalised thousands.

According to the protestor, the Community Water Alliance committee in Glenview started engaging the local district officer a Mr Gwiriri three months back to impressing upon him the need to address sewer pipe bursts but he ignored their call.

The widespread sewer blockages and bursts in the area are attributed to the cholera and typhoid outbreak that hit the area before spreading to much of the country.

“Two weeks before the outbreak the CWA local structures re-engaged Mr Gwiriri and he did not respond. A day before outbreak, CWA structures in Glen View engaged local councilor Mr. Charles Chidagu, who visited Mr Gwiriri that same day. The local councilor was told that there is no fuel. The distance from district offices to affected areas is 250-300 metres,” said Community Water Alliance Information Officer Timothy Chitambure in a statement.

“We view the actions by Mr. Gwiriri as gross negligence and we hold him liable for cholera deaths”

The residents have vowed to remain camped at the offices until they are convincingly addressed by the Mayor of Harare Herbert Gomba.

“Residents will not leave the offices unless and until the Mayor of Harare Councilor Hebert Gomba comes to address them and their grievances. NO WORK WILL BE CARRIED OUT AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE UNTIL RESIDENTS GRIEVANCES ARE ADDRESSED,” Chitambure emphasised.

ZimEye.com efforts to get a comment from the Mayor were not successful at the time of writing.