Chegutu residents in Ward 5 have pleaded with the government and their local municipality for affordable residential stands as the population of the area have tripled in the past years with no proper sewer and water systems which is putting lives of residents in danger especially during this Covid-19 era.
Speaking to Inside Business, most residents said having a standard ablution facility per every household is a dream for many who now have resorted to open defecation a development which is slowly taking the nation in a southward direction as in 2017, proportion of rural population served with open defecation sanitation for Zimbabwe had declined from 42 percent to 36.7 percent.
“Ward 5 in a very old suburb in this area over the years we have experienced a swelling population which is now stressing the available water and sewer pipes.
“This situation of overpopulation we believe is a fault of the City Fathers who did not plan for the growth of this beautiful mining area and now we are pleading with government and relevant authorities to assist us with affordable land at council rates to address the challenge of over population.
“It is embarrassing and difficult for such an old woman like me who is 70 years of age to be seen looking for a bush to defecate, thus un earthical and uncultural. I even feel for my neighbor who is on a wheelchair for just to use a toilet is an enough nightmare for her and you will realise that she last set on a chamber four to five years ago”, said gogo Tendeke.
Moving around the ward one is greeted with an unpleasant smell and children laying with raw sewer in some instances with parents watching helplessly.
“This has become a new normal in Chegutu as it is easy to realise that this is a health time bond and we are living just by the grace of God.
“All these house holds the are core-houses and you will find three to four families living together without a functional toilet in this Covid-19,” said Sandra Chikono.
Councillor of the ward Kingdon Tengwe underlined the need for residential stands to de-congest the ward and need for donors to extend a helping hand as their case is an urgent one.
“It is true that we have a serious challenge in this ward and we as a community have tried all we can to make sure we live a healthy and standard life but our major challenge is the blocked sewer and water pipes which need replacement before we record cases of Cholera and Typhoid.
“At this point we plead with government to assist with funds in terms of sorting out issues of water and sewer because our Member of Parliament Dexter Nduna has done a good job but there is more to be done and if possibly private players can come on board we might together improve the living conditions of the people of ward 5 and Chegutu in general,” he said.