Residents of Chitungwiza expressed dismay over the manner in which water and sanitation delivery issues are handled by Chitungwiza Municipality. Serious issues were reported during Community Water Alliance movement building exercise in St Marys, Chitungwiza.
Community Water Alliance staff were taken to No. 2717 where a sewage tank is situated beneath the dining room of a residential stand allocated in contravention of provisions of City planning. The owner of the house complained that sewer bursts from the tank have affected hygiene standards at the house.
A visit to House No.6825 by Community Water Alliance staff confirmed that some roads have been “closed” by heaps of uncollected refuse dumped by residents.
Some stands have serious ownership battles emanating from double allocation of a single stand to multiple beneficiaries.
Another worrying situation was Chitungwiza Municipality’s blind eye to a homestead where a person with mental impairment was left to run affairs of the home alone. Lack of medications for the person with mental impairment has caused deteriorating health conditions both at the house and neighboring homesteads.
Residents fear that water borne diseases might hit the suburb if nothing is done to address the problem.
Community Water Alliance demand that Chitungwiza Municipality address urban planning issues as a matter of urgency. Allocation of residential stands should be done taking into consideration the man-made and natural infrastructure of water delivery.