Bulawayo is facing its worst water crisis in years, and the city authorities say they are not about to lift the stringent system of water rationing, even though heavy rains are now filling up the reservoirs which supply the city.

The shortage of potable water in Bulawayo is closely connected with a standoff between the city authorities, which are controlled by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, ZINWA.

ZINWA is a recently-formed agency which is supposed to be taking over from municipal authorities as the supplier of water to all urban centres in Zimbabwe. However, its performance to date has been heavily criticised, and Bulawayo City Council has resisted the takeover. The government in Harare has made it clear that as long as the takeover is resisted, the local authority will not get any assistance from the centre.

Bulawayo council clinics are now asking expectant mothers to bring their own water with them when they come in to give birth. Pregnant women are not released from clinics until they have settled their bills and the longer they stay without running water, the more they expose themselves to infection, which can lead to an even longer stay in hospital.

Source: Joseph Nhlanhla (pseudonym), IWPR, 14 Feb 2008

Tags: gender, policies & legislation, urban wash