The Bulawayo City Council has responded to the Habek suburb residents’ 311 signatures water petition by sending a team of plumbers to check on the water valves in the community as per the residents’ plea.
On the 18th of February 2021, Habek residents sent a petition to the Bulawayo City Council asking for the Council to “send a team of engineers or plumbers to come and inspect water pipes and valves to ascertain of there are no closed or damaged valves that are blocking water from reaching the community.” This after the area had gone for over a year without tap water even during water restoration times. The residents resorted to the petition after having made numerous reports to BCC to no avail. Some Council officials were insisting the area is on high ground but the residents insisted it may be to do with valves.
Today (05 March 2021) the Councilor of the area Alderman S. Khumalo updated the residents’ whatsapp group that the plumbers came on Thursday the 4th, “managed to open some valves and water got to a few houses.” He further explained that the team will be working over the weekend to attend to the issue.
Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) assisted the residents of Habek section to write the petition and to submit it to the relevant authorities. MIHR also assisted the residents to approach the media on the issue and it got publicity in the Newsday and CITE.
Newsday: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2021/03/pumula-residents-still-without-running-water/
CITE: https://cite.org.zw/residents-petition-council-after-going-for-a-year-without-water/
MATABELELAND INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
Leave a Reply