Media Paper By Chitungwiza Residents Trust|Chitungwiza residents are almost edging close to the Stone Age era of bush ablution;but otherwise the Ramapethecsus era bush ablution system was by far hygienic and humane than the ablution system currently obtaining in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza.Instead of discharging the sewerage at the sewer reticulation plant,its now sewer all over the streets.
A CASE STUDY:Unit M Seke.
On Friday 28 September 2018, most houses in unit M have been affected by sewage bursts never seen on this earth.Areas close to Seke 3 High were almost sunk in the sewage dams.Areas between Seke3 and Jambanja had sewer flowing in streets like an overflowing mighty Limpopo river.Houses between Chirenje Shops and Herentals School could not manage getting out of their houses or crossing roads due to raw sewer all over.In the north eastern side of Seke3 High School before Unit M Creche is an area that is known for sewer daily.
All these sewerage affected areas are a perennial problem.Residents are sitting on a time bomb in Unit M.A visit to unit M on Sunday by Chitrest to light life threatening scenarios the residents are surviving in.Residents of houses around 17005 complained that they could not afford to sleep well nor cook food since sewrage had overflowed into their houses.
They even showed Chitrest Director Alice Kuvheya and Chitrest Coordinator Obert Matsika sewer overflowing into kitchens and beneath the beds in bedrooms.
A resident at 16873 said on Friday night sewer flooded from the toilet overflooding into the sitting room only to be assisted by neighbours to scoop the sewerage into the nearby drainage ditch.Several houses around that house were all affected by overflow sewer on their yards.
Just across the road at house 16867,the landlord complained much about the behaviour of council plumbers who came sometime back at his house to attend to sewer bursts and leaving their wire stuck in the sewer pipe at the back of the house.He even accused them for worsening the intensity of the bursts .He cried that kids at his house had to be evacuated to a relative’s place for a safe haven after they all suffered diarrhoea and disturbing stomachaches amid this cholera pandemic.
Another resident in the Garikai stands bordering unit M is surviving on the horns of a dilemma.The family is indeed between the deep see and the devil.The house is situated on top of the main trunk that ferry all sewer from Unit O to the sewer reticulation plant.It is bordered by 3 mainholes which are ever bursting concurrently or in alternation.The landlord at this house number 33432 complained that the mainholes were left open sometime ago and that augmented by the perennial sewage bursts tradition left him admitted in hospital due to pro-cholera abdomenal malady.
Another lady who claimed to be an employee in the Justice ministry complained about that sewerage problem.She showed us a drainage ditch which was cemented by Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle residents and it used to help drain away sewer in the event of a burst.A road demarcating the unit M old houses and Garikai houses has since stopped functioning due to sewerage problem at the area.
COUNCIL REACTION
Slow,Inhumane and Primitive
Council was alerted of that sewage burst in Unit M by residents around houses 17005/6;16873 on Saturday by 0800am but could not come.Senior council officers were informed also by Chitrest director but could not come only to attend to the scene on Sunday 30 September at 0900am.They cited fuel shortages at the council for their delay.
It is very dissappointing that the source of hope is no longer reliable,what it is supposed to be and what it used to be.It is now seriously inefficient and incompetent.
Of serious concern is the phenomenon of the cholera outbreak.How can we fight cholera with this calibre of council administration staff.Not reactive,uncaring and conmen like deportment.
The council sewer workers are also at risk.They work without proper clothing.One of them had his tennis in his foot,some had no gloves and all of them had no masks for safe breathing.
Mr Tarutira,the sewer manager who was at the scene in unit M,piled heaps and heaps of blame on residents for for the bursts and blockages.First he said residents were disposing materials like metals,cloth,bottles,shoes and pampers in the drainage system;which he said impacted negatively on the smooth flow of the sewerage.Secondly he complained that the trunk which carry all the sewage from unit O to the plant had been seriously damaged by residents building houses on top of the trunk causing leakages on the pipes that consequently reduces pushing force and also the holes allow sand in hence blockages.He said the trunk might be having 4 of such holes within a 15metre length.
Chitrest coordinator
Ward 24