Corruption backfires as sewer flows into homes

Source: Corruption backfires as sewer flows into homes | The Herald

Sewage that has flooded house number 2956 C-Extension in Chitungwiza

Blessings Chidakwa Municipal Reporter
The corrupt allocation of some residential stands on top of a sewer tank by Chitungwiza Municipality has backfired as raw sewage has been flowing inside several houses in Ward 19.

Affected residents, including those at house number 2956 in C-Extension on Sunday night appealed for the local authority to temporarily cut down water supplies which were reportedly worsening the sewer bursts.

Miss Tafadzwa Abigail Kuzinya said the challenge started two years ago at an area popularly known as paSandas famed for apostolic sects.

“We have a serious challenge of sewage flowing inside several houses in Ward 19 including at number 2956. The challenge started when a house was built on top of the main sewer tank.

“Since then, our sewer system has always been blocking and each time we make a report to council, there is no response. Our houses are flooded with sewage right now,” she said.

Miss Kuzinya said council officials said the only way to end the sewage problem was through the demolition of the house, but no action is being taken.

Chitungwiza spokesperson Mr Lovemore Meya confirmed the anomaly yesterday.

“We cannot cut water supplies to the area as it will affect other households. We have since resolved the problem at the said properties,” he said.

Sewer bursts are a common feature in Chitungwiza.

In Unit N, during a recent tour, The Herald exposed a time bomb at house number 12893 where children engaged in open defecation at the backyard of the house as they could no longer access their clogged toilet.

The squat pan toilet was clogged for days with sewage flowing all over the yard exposing habitats to health hazards.