We Want Water Not ZINWA!!!!

It is both a scientific and natural fact that “Water is life”, “Amanzi ayimpilo” and none of us would exist today without the presence of this precious resource. While all care has been taken in the past to provide adequate and clean drinking water for the residents of Bulawayo, the situation has gone too bad to be stretched any further nor left to mother nature to solve.
Bulawayo, which now has a population of over a million people, had its last dam, the Insiza, constructed by a colonial government in 1976 when its population then stood at around 250 000. Surely, it is more than evident that given the challenges this region faces almost seasonally as a drought prone area, the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has done exceptionally well in trying to keep it alive on the few supply dams thus far. However, these means have been stretched to their limits and the time for Plan B has come. The big question therefore is, what is Plan B ? Is it the Zambezi Water project? This unfortunately has become as much a pipe dream as hoping that the next Roman Catholic Pope will be from Zimbabwe. Is it The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA). The BCC and Byo residents have given a thumbs down to this choice for the following logical reasons.
ZINWA was set up with the sole mandate of providing bulk water to local authorities who in turn would focus on the domestic supply of the resource. However, over night or over a Cabinet decision this obligation has changed making ZINWA responsible for the domestic supply of water and sewerage reticulation in urban councils. Records of ZINWA’s performance so far shows poor delivery of services in small towns, growth points and even in big cities like Harare and Victoria falls, where water flows through to the Indian Ocean.
It is the NYDT’s view that the BCC has not failed in its duties to warrant it being stripped of this responsibility that has also been a source of income in years past. NYDT stands with the rest of the Bulawayo residents to say NO to a ZINWA takeover of its water and sewerage reticulation system as this would lead to an even worse situation in terms of water supplies in the city. ZINWA has failed where there is an abundance of water, we expect no miracles in Bulawayo.
As youths, we feel that our fathers must hand over to us a legacy worth being proud of, a legacy worth passing on to our own children. Playing political games with this legacy is nothing short of irresponsible and unacceptable. People’s lives are at risk, the city is on its knees and we need better solutions to this century old challenge than recycling filthy water from the Khami Dam. WE WANT WATER NOT ZINWA!!!!!!!. Youths, Lend your voice to this important campaign by speaking you mind.