The Sunday News
Thupeyo Muleya, Features Reporter
THE provision of clean, portable and affordable water to citizens of Zimbabwe is one of the major priorities of the Government as stated in section 77 of the Constitution which is the supreme law of the land.
However, this right remains a perennial mirage to Beitbridge residents who in the abundance of water are thirsty. Their tale can hardly be understood. It is a tale of poverty amid plenty as the great Limpopo River at Beitbridge’s doorsteps has been bursting its banks.
The river flows throughout the year with the precious liquid going to waste in the Indian Ocean.
But poor water management policies and endless verbal wars between the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) and the Beitbridge Town Council has subjected 60 000 residents of the border town to thirst.
It has further been a tale of, “when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”.
In short water has become elusive for Beitbridge residents and this year the water shortages escalated. A further transit population of between 10 000 and 12 000 people daily is disadvantaged by the existing unhygienic scenario in the border town.
The town needs at least 15 000 cubic metres of water daily, but due to a number of logistical issues Zinwa is only supplying the local authority with 3 000 cubic metres per day.
Things got to a head in October last year when the parastatal, which administers bulk water, decided to install pre-paid water meters in the town. This was done as a way of recouping a $12 million debt Zinwa claims to be owed by the town council accruing from 2009.
On the other hand the council argues that they owe the parastatal less, since most of the non-revenue water is lost before getting to their distribution points due to leakages.
In 2013 the Government wrote off all water debts residents owed to local authorities, but however, never looked into Zinwa doing the same for institutions.
Last month Zinwa installed bulky water meters in Beitbridge at distribution points amid protest by the local authority.
The local authority had its case thrown out of court on technicalities when they wanted to interdict Zinwa’s implementation of the bulky water meters.
This saw Zinwa cutting supplies from the town and demanding that they buy prepaid water at a rate of $1,05 per kilolitre, which is way expensive if we are to compare with South Africa where residents are charged R19 for 40 cubic meters per month.
In addition, they collect 30 percent of whatever the council pays for the prepaid water towards the servicing of the $12 million debt.
The situation has become worse after the council indicated that it was also owed close to $7 million by residents in unpaid water bills.
They say they are only collecting 40 percent of their targeted revenue.
Town secretary, Mr Loud Ramakgapola told stakeholders during a crisis meeting recently that the town needed at least $180 000 for a month’s supply of water.
Therefore they have resorted to buying around $20 000 worth of water per week, which is not enough to cover a week considering that they only get supplies for $11 000 after Zinwa collects its 30 percent and 15 % VAT.
From the situation obtaining on the ground it appears there is no end in sight as the two parties continue antagonising each other.
A health time bomb is looming especially in the high density suburbs where supplies are erratic and the prison which is understood to be housing over 400 inmates.
The 140 bed referral hospital and border post are among the high risk areas.
Dealers have also taken advantage of the situation and they are selling borehole, treated and untreated water from the Limpopo River.
A bucket of water costs anything between R5 and R10 depending with the dealer.
The local authority has gone on a crusade to disconnect many defaulters, and this has seen many business premises in the CBD area operating without water.
Such a situation has created a breeding space for diseases including diarrhoea, typhoid, and cholera among others.
One will suppose that Beitbridge being the face of the nation for those coming into the country through South Africa should not allow such problems as the end result will be a cholera or typhoid outbreak which will easily be a national threat since it is a transit point.
In 2008 the town recorded 5 133 cases of cholera while 98 000 were reported countrywide during that time.
A total of 4 369 lives were lost to cholera that spread across 9 provinces.
Beitbridge, Chegutu, Mudzi and Zvimba were the hardest hit.
Last year 2 200 suspected cases of typhoid were recorded countrywide.
Considering the current economic situation, Government is sitting on a health time bomb if the water situation in Beitbridge is not attended to with the urgency it deserves.
Research done in India and Tanzania between 2004 and 2010 show that it cost between $16 and $22 to treat an outpatient with typhoid and $155 to $154 for a patients admitted to hospital.
It is of paramount importance that the ministers of State Security, Health, Local Government and that of Climate and Water sit over a round table and come up with a position to the Beitbridge water crisis.
Water supplies have become virtually erratic in the town and it is only a matter of time before the bomb detonates.
Human waste is now a common feature on streams leading to the Limpopo River and making risks of contamination of the few boreholes around the town as well as common environmental issues associated with water pollution of such a magnitude worse still to a big river like Limpopo.
It is also high time Zinwa and the Beitbridge town council stopped being selfish bickering and learn to co-exist at least for the better of the residents and the visitors as well as those who will be in transit.
They need to focus on the real issues of providing water and related services to the people rather than wasting time and resources in unproductive fights.
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