Borehole project provides a sigh of relief to Bulawayo residents

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city have been facing serious water challenges in the past months, with some suburbs going for up to a week without the precious liquid. The Bulawayo City Council was only providing water for a few hours. Earlier during this month, the local authority introduced a 48-hour water shedding programme which was then increased to 72hours owing to deteriorating water levels at the city’s supply dams. Due to water shedding in the city, there has been a number of reported cases of diarrhea and this calling for immediate intervention. The Minister of Finance and Economic Development allocated ZWL$2.4 billion in the 2022 National Budget towards the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which translates to ZWL$11.4 million per constituency. However, this fund has been utilized to address water shortages in Bulawayo East District. Residents were consulted so as to get their proposals on how they wanted the CDF to be used and the main proposal was that it be channeled towards a borehole drilling project in the constituency. On the 31st of July, a feedback meeting was held with the Queenspark East residents concerning the borehole drilling project which was to be completed in early August. The drilling of the first borehole began on the 4th of August 2022. By the 17th of August, 2 boreholes had been drilled in the constituency, one in Mahatshula and the other at John Slaven School in Malindela. The borehole in Mahatshula was commissioned on the 18th of September 2022. Residents welcomed this development saying it will ease the water problems that were affecting mostly women due to their gendered roles. Honorable Illos Nyoni, the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo East Constituency disclosed that more boreholes were expected to be drilled in Waterford and other suburbs