Chipinge rural ward 21 which was hardly remembered by the government and the local authorities has recently received a boost of 5 boreholes after ZimSentinel published a story of a water crisis that was ravaging the area.
Ward 21 councilor Lucas Muchinani, revealed to ZimSentinel that the ward recently received a shot in the arm from a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that rehabilitated some of the defunct boreholes.
“I am grateful that the ward was rescued from a water crisis that was ravaging villages in ward 21. Government officials from Chipinge district came with an NGO called Oxfam. The organization currently managed to rehabilitate about 5 boreholes out of 10. These boreholes were rehabilitated in Tamanewako, Manyezu primary, Ziyadhinga, Munyamana area,” said Muchinani.
It was reported that some people in ward 21 used to trek long distances to the nearby reliable water source for domestic and agricultural activities.
Muchinani also said that some villages do not have a single borehole since independence and he appealed for the government and other developmental stakeholders to assist by drilling boreholes.
“Villages such as Gona A and B, Chibunji A, Murenje, Ziyadhinga, Manyezu Upper, Geje and Mwachieni require installation of new boreholes. Areas such as Ziyadhinga near Rimbi business centre, Gona A and Chibunji A never had a borehole since independence. Villagers in these areas walk for about 1,5 km to the nearest water source. We are appealing for the installation of about 10 new boreholes in this ward,” he said.
He also added that the ward has a population of approximately 8000 households and have a total of 48 boreholes.
The country’s constitution enshrines water as a basic human right that is essential for a healthy life; therefore failure to provide reliable potable water sources to citizens is a sign of neglecting them.
“Every person has a right to safe, clean, potable water, sufficient food and the State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realisation of this right,” reads Section 77 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
