The Binga District Residents Association (Bidra) has petitioned the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) for its failure to provide constant adequate, safe and clean water.
Binga faces acute water shortages despite it being situated on the shores of the mighty Zambezi River.
Zinwa is the sole supplier of water in the district.
This was after Binga Rural District Council (BRDC) handed over the whole water management system to the parastatal in 2004 saying it could no longer afford to buy bulk water from Zinwa and re-distributing it to residents.
However, since then the district has faced revolving water shortages.
In its petition dated December 15, 2018 Bidra said failure by Zinwa to discharge their duties as enshrined in the Water Act of 1988 has caused unprecedented levels of human suffering and ecological problems.
“In the absence of reliable and safe water sources, communities resort to unsafe sources of water such as the river — resulting in increased exposure to diseases such as cholera and other hazards like attacks by crocodiles,” said Bidra chairperson Elias Sibanda in the petition.
The residents’ association has been engaging the Zinwa provincial executive in a bid to find a lasting solution to the problem.
While Bidra acknowledges the engagements as the beginning of a long relationship of dialogue, it notes that the water crisis cannot be solved at provincial level due to policy restrictions and funding constraints.
“Therefore, Bidra has resolved to take the water campaign further that is Parliament and the parent line ministry. The Bidra will assist Zinwa in finding partners or donors under the PPP arrangement where possible,” Sibanda said.
