Over the years, Gwanda residents have experienced water supply cut-offs by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) as way of pressuring the local authority to clear its outstanding balances. Recently ZINWA disconnected water supply for the entire Gwanda town because of the debt which the local authority owes. This resulted in residents having to go for 8 days without water. This move by ZINWA has always faced criticism from the public who are aware that access to water is a human right that is guaranteed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe under Section 77. ZINWA`s actions have ignited residents` need for the water treatments plants to be handed over to the local authority with the belief that it will mitigate the water supply disconnections they have suffered for a period spanning decades.
The current situation that exist between the Municipality of Gwanda and ZINWA is that, ZINWA draws and treats water for the town before storing it, and then the local authority is billed for the bulk of the supply; distributes and collects bills from the residents. In 1996, a directive was given that, ZINWA should handover water treatment plants to local urban authorities, but to date, out of 32 urban local authorities in 2013, 27 were given back their plants except for Gwanda, Beitbridge, Karoi and Victoria falls.
In 2017, the Community Youth Development Trust petitioned the Parliament to facilitate the handing over of the water treatment plant from ZINWA to the local authority to address the challenge of water woes resulting from the dual administration of water services since the local authority has been preparing for the running of the water plant. Residents allege that, the council has met the requirements that were recommended by the commissioners who came to assess preparedness by the municipality to take over the plant, and what was left was the sourcing of chemicals. Despite the two commissions that were sent approving the assessments of the takeover of the water plant, ZINWA has not yet handed over the water treatment plant.
CYDT appreciates the efforts of MPs that met in the National Assembly on the 4th of August 2021 to discuss on the disconnections of water supplies in the towns, and supported the need for local authorities to run water plants to avoid water disruptions that are currently being faced.
Water disruptions in Gwanda town which is also the capital of Matabeleland South and has the provincial hospital, have exposed citizens to a health time ticking bomb during this pandemic as water is regarded as essential to prevent the spread of the virus. One resident from Gwanda who chose to remain anonymous had this to say, “It has become increasingly clear that people with the least access to essential services like water, will feel the most dramatic effects of the pandemic, how can people follow health and hand-washing advice when we are faced with water shortages?”. Therefore, the effectiveness of responses to the COVID-19 are being threatened due to the pre-existing challenge on frequent water problems that have left residents exposed and vulnerable to the pandemic.
Access to clean water is a basic necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic and even in the best of times; its availability might well determine whether people are able to remain healthy by staying at home and practicing good hygiene, hence it is important that the plant be handed over to the Municipality to address water disruptions and ensure that residents are not deprived of their right to access water.
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