Nkululeko Sibanda
13 December 2008
Bulawayo — The city council has warned of severe water cuts next month as the municipality only managed to secure water treatment chemicals enough for only three weeks ahead of the annual business shutdown.
This year most companies closed early due to the economic uncertainty in the country.
The warning on severe water rationing came amid reports the cholera death toll in the city had risen to 11.
The mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said although the municipality still had the capacity to provide 80% of the city's water requirements, the situation could deteriorate further next month.
He said council failed to stockpile the essential chemicals because suppliers were demanding cash upfront or payment in foreign currency.
"While the situation is not that bad as we can still provide at least 80% of our residents with water, we are facing a challenge for next month," Moyo said.
"The challenge is that we have not yet procured chemicals for next year because our suppliers are demanding that we pay them cash in advance.
"Given the situation in the country, it is pretty difficult for us to access cash to pay huge bills such as those for the procurement of water treatment chemicals."
Moyo said council was also failing to access foreign currency to buy chemicals.
The council's health services department says 94 residents were suffering from cholera as of last week.
"Our statistics show that most of the people who have contracted cholera came from Beitbridge," Moyo said. "As a council, we also have problems attending to burst sewer pipes because of shortages of fuel."
The cholera outbreak, which began in Chitungwiza in August, has reached all the country's provinces except Matabeleland North.
Bulawayo has faced perennial water shortages for years as the city's population has outgrown the five supply dams that were all built before Independence.
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