Gwanda urged to address water sewer challenges

17 Feb, 2019 - 00:02 0 Views
Gwanda urged to address water sewer challenges Gwanda municipality

The Sunday News

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government has urged the Gwanda municipality to address water and sewer reticulation challenges being faced by residents, some who are now relieving themselves in plastics and throwing the rubbish on roads.

Speaking in Gwanda during a meeting with residents, councillors and pressure groups, the committee chairperson, Cde Miriam Chikukwa said residents from Ward 5 have written a petition to Parliament complaining that they had been living without water connections and sewer system for the past 10 years.

Residents who spoke during the meeting said people were now using plastic bags to relieve themselves and were throwing them along the streets.

“We received a petition from residents from Ward 5 in Gwanda who were complaining that they have been living without water connections, sewer system and proper roads for the past 10 years.

“As a committee we are here to investigate the matter and see how best we can intervene.

“We visited the affected area yesterday so as to see for ourselves what the residents are experiencing.

“We are here to ensure that development comes to the ward.

“In order for that to happen we urge the municipality to put in place measures to address this challenge being faced by residents.

“Can you please work together as council and residents in order to resolve this matter. Water is a necessity that residents should have access to,” she said.

Speaking during the meeting, Ms Siduduzile Masilela from Spitzkop Extension in Ward 5 said they were allocated stands in 2009 which were not serviced.

She said at first people were relieving themselves in the bush as there were few houses but the residential area had now expanded, leaving people stranded.

Ms Masilela said people were now using plastic bags to relieve themselves and disposing them on the streets.

Gwanda Residents Association secretary Mr Bekezela Maduma said sewer reticulation and water challenges were also being faced by residents in other wards.

He said they had made efforts before to engage the municipality and the previous Parliament over the matter but without luck.

“This problem has been there for a long time now in various wards. The municipality has been allocating stands that are not serviced to residents. Some people can’t even access their homes in their vehicles as their suburbs don’t have roads.

“We want Parliament to take us seriously on this matter as we have put this issue through various platforms but it still hasn’t been addressed,” he said.

Another resident, Mr Nkosilathi Nkomo of Spitzkop Medium Suburb in Ward 6 said they were buying water at $5 to $6 per drum from neighbouring wards.

He said their homes were not accessible as there were no roads and as a result he was forced to park his vehicle at a shopping centre.

Town mayor Councillor Jastone Mazhale said the municipality was working on efforts to address the challenges faced by residents.

He said following the petition by residents they had worked out a frame work on how best to address the issue of servicing stands that were already occupied and ensuring that people had access to water and other social amenities.

He said the municipality was forced to allocate stands to people before they had been serviced because of economic hardships and high demand of housing.
@DubeMatutu

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