By Loyd Matare
Chitungwiza residents have come out guns blazing, accusing the municipality of “sleeping on duty” while the dormitory town sinks deeper into a man-made sewer catastrophe that has turned homes, streets and drainage channels into rivers of human waste.
They allege that council officials demand money to attend to sewer bursts, while councillors have “vanished” and are no longer addressing urgent service-delivery breakdowns.
When contacted for comment, Chitungwiza Municipality spokesperson Tafadzwa Kachiko dismissed the accusations and blamed some residents for contributing to the crisis.
“There was an exercise to clear drains in some parts of Chitungwiza, including Zengeza 3 Extension,” he said.
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“We have been responding to bursts and fixing them, but the recurrence is due to outdated sewer infrastructure, which we are replacing using devolution funds.”
Kachiko further argued that residents were worsening the situation by abusing the sewer system.
“Another cause for these recurring blockages is the attitude of residents…people discharge foreign materials like diapers and spoons into the sewer system.”
“When our team was doing routine maintenance in Zengeza 5, that’s when a body was discovered,” he said.
“We appeal to residents to stop discharging foreign materials so we can have a functioning system.”
But residents who spoke to AfroGazette News said they are now living “in a health disaster” as sewer mixed with rainwater increasingly flows into houses whenever it rains.
An elderly woman from Zengeza 3 Extension, who requested anonymity, said the crisis had pushed her to breaking point.
“Last time it happened, rainwater mixed with stagnant sewer burst into my house carrying used diapers and pads,” she said.
“I was diagnosed with high blood pressure because of the stress. I built a barricade to stop sewer-contaminated water from entering my home. We have no councillors, and the municipality is as good as non-existent.”
Another resident, Mai Ropafadzo, accused the municipality of neglect and corruption.
“We have lived in this mess for almost a month,” she said. “Council never comes unless we contribute money first. Without paying them, they never show up.”
For Mai Matere, also from Zengeza 3, the situation has become unbearable.
“The sewer-laden water has flooded my house three times now,” she said.
“I’ve replaced my couches and lost electrical gadgets. Neighbours are now fighting because everyone builds barricades to protect their homes, but this forces the water into someone else’s house.”
