Sewer pipes in Bulawayo are blocked, resulting in sewage overflowing into the streets from manholes. The city's unsanitary conditions has left residents fearful of a fresh outbreak of cholera. Service delivery has collapsed in Bulawayo, after local authorities recently announced that the municipality was insolvent and unable to cater to the needs of its almost two million residents.

"Our major problem is a shortage of manpower to deal with more than 500 reported cases of sewer bursts," says Phathisa Nyathi, the city municipality's spokesman.

Most of the families can no longer afford standard toilet paper and have to resort to newspapers or torn pieces of cardboard boxes for their ablutions, says council worker Jotham Ncube. Blockages are also occurring from the accumulation of sand in sewer pipes. "People use river sand to clean their soot-covered pots” and the dirty water is then flushed down the toilet.

Magwegwe Residents Association chairman Bazara Banyana rejects the argument that apportioned blame on residents. He says residents cannot be expected to condone the absence of services when the residents pay rates and taxes to the council in the expectation of the provision of those services.

Ingrid Mayobodo, inhabitant of Bualawo, suggests the council should at least spray the pools of sewage effluent with insecticide to control mosquito breeding or use disinfectants to suppress the nauseating stench.”

Source: IRIN News, 14 Mar 2008

Related news: Zimbabwe, Bulawayo: water in short supply despite rain, Source Weekly, 28 Feb 2008