Villagers in Nswazwi, Bulilima West, Matabeleland South have reportedly gone for 8 years without water after the engine that pumped water to their taps broke down.
The pump, which provided safe drinking water for the villagers, was taken for repairs by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA). It has not been returned.
A local businessman said that villagers are now sharing drinking water with animals from a river. He said:
We had our engine here, but when it broke down, it was taken by Zinwa and never returned. Right now, we are sharing water sources with animals.
As I speak, there is a donkey which is rotting in the dam and that’s the same water we are drinking. We appeal to the government to solve this water problem.
A local traditional leader, Headman Jetjeni, under whose jurisdiction the villagers fall disclosed that four of his villages were affected by water challenges. He said:
The other problem is that elephants also drink from the dam and it’s now fast running out of water.
When we reach August or September, it would be dry and we find it difficult to get water for our livestock and domestic use.