Africa-Press – Tanzania. WHAT could be seen as unethical, Nangomba Secondary School in Nanyumbu District, Mtwara region – a public institution is selling tap water to its students as a way of collecting money to pay for water bills.
Speaking to reporters here yesterday, the students wondered why they must pay for the water, while it comes from a government-owned project in the area.
“We are currently buying tap water at the school, where a bucket is sold at 50/-….the situation is so tough for us and we can’t afford such life, especially those of us who come from vulnerable families,” said Fatma Ismail, a Form Four student at the institution.
In the business, students who are boarders are the major customers, because they cannot walk out of the school to look for water elsewhere.
Reached for a comment, the school management admitted that they have been charging the students as a means to raise money to pay water bill, however, the students appealed to the government to look for another way of settling the bills instead of taxing them.
They said water is an essential commodity for their lives for drinking as well as hygiene, hence, should not be taxed directly from their pockets, yet they are not employes.
They noted that water piped to the school comes from Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) project, that is also State owned, including the school, hence, no point of the government taxing itself. Before the implementation of the water project in the area, the students had to walk long distances in search of the precious liquid out of the school compound.
“We thank the government for implementing the water project here that is enabling us to have access to clean and safe water within our school compound, but the problem is that we are buying it…that is sometimes expensive to us especially girls,” said Pili Salum a Form Two student at the school.
In reaction, the school’s Head teacher, Mr Peter Francis wondered why their management was selling water to the students, even if it lacked other sources to pay the bill.
“They are very right, the students are paying for the water they use, and this is because of the reality that we have many students, over 300 of them we cannot afford to supply with water freely,” he said.
The area District Commissioner, Ms Mariam Chaurembo also confirmed the matter saying the government was working on it to enable the students have access to the liquid freely.
Earlier, Nanyumbu District RUWASA Manager, Eng. Saimon Mchucha told the Chama Cha Mapinduzi Regional Committee that the government was implementing a water project worth over 200m/- in Nangomba and Mjimwema villages in the district, whose completion would be a blessing to the villagers and institutions in the area.
He said the project that has been completed by 90 per cent and would supply water to the two villages including Nangomba Secondary School via a 50,000 litres tank built at the institution.
