BY NOTHANDO DUBE
Hwange Central constituency is using its $2 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to drill three boreholes to ease perennial water shortages in the communities.
Daniel Molokele, Member of Parliament for the constituency, told VicFallsLive the boreholes will be drilled in Nekabandabama (ward 12), Dinde (ward 13) and Lukosi (ward 20).
Villagers in the affected areas have to walk over five kilometres to fetch water for domestic use.
Ward 20 councillor Ishmael Kwidini said villages such as Shangano and Chilanga were facing serious water shortages after borehole equipment broke down.
Kwidini said the situation has seen some villagers having to walk four kilometres in search of water.
“Most boreholes are obsolete and they have been sustained by continuous repairs, which have been mainly done through assistance from the office of the MP,” Kwidini said.
“Some villages access piped water through the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, but still the breakdowns have seen people going for months without water.
“The greatest challenge has been the fact that there is only one pump minder who services all the three wards, which is too much for him.”
Kwidini said livestock had also been adversely affected by the water crisis in the ward as they relied on the Lukosi River.
During this dry season villagers have to walk over five kilometres to find watering points for their livestock.
“The water situation is really dire this dry season,” Kwidini said.
“One or two boreholes are not enough for six villages in the ward.”
Hwange district usually receives very low rainfall and is prone to droughts.