Outrage as Maglas Stadium is turned into bush toilet

04 May, 2014 - 16:05 0 Views

The Sunday News

Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Correspondent
ZVISHAVANE residents from Maglas compound have turned Maglas Stadium into a “bush toilet” and are shunning the compound’s public toilets which they said were now posing a health hazard as they were no longer being cleaned.
Residents of Zvishavane’s old compounds which include Maglas, Mandava and some parts of Kandodo use public toilets.

A visit to the town on Wednesday by a Sunday News crew revealed that most of the public toilets were now in a sorry state with residents now avoiding using them.

In separate interviews, residents in Maglas compound said they were now using Maglas Stadium as their ideal place to relieve themselves as they were now fearing the risk of contracting diseases by using the public toilets.

Maglas Stadium is home ground to Zvishavane premiership outfit, Shabanie Mine Football Club.

When Sunday News visited the stadium on Wednesday, Shabanie Mine was preparing to host Bantu Rovers for a Premier Soccer League match and some of the football club marshals could be seen cleaning human waste in the stadium before the mid week kick-off.

“This is what we do every time as part of our preparations to host a visiting team or when the players have a training session. There would be human waste all over the ground because most residents in the surrounding houses now prefer to use the stadium to relieve themselves as they shun their toilets,” said one Shabanie Mine Football Club official.

The residents confirmed that they were using the stadium as their “bush toilet”.
“There is no option, the stadium has become our bush toilet here because no one wants to risk contracting diseases by getting into these run down public toilets. Most of us prefer to walk into the stadium during the night to relieve ourselves as we feel it’s safe healthwise than getting into the public toilet,” said Mrs Sarah Madondo.

Another resident, Mr Vincent Chigora said Shabanie Mine employees who were responsible for cleaning the public toilets were no longer cleaning them as they were not being paid.

“The situation has been worse now that the company has temporarily closed down and all the employees have been sent on forced leave,” he said.

Zvishavane Town Secretary, Mr Tinoda Mukutu confirmed the health concerns in Maglas Compound in Zvishavane. He said the town council was still negotiating with the management at Shabanie Mine with the hope that the local authority would take over the control of the mine compounds.

He said the move would result in the town council providing cleaning services to the compound.

“There are health concerns in Maglas but as the local authority we have no control over mine compounds as they are being administered by Shabanie Mine.

“We are, however, negotiating with the mine management with the hope of taking over the control of the compounds since the mine is struggling,” he said.

A Mr Muguti who is said to be responsible for health and community services at Shabanie Mine declined to comment on the matter.

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