Bulawayo Mayor Pleads With Government to Declare Bulawayo a Water Shortage City

Bulawayo Mayor, David Coltart, has urged the government to declare Bulawayo a water shortage city. He issued a dire warning about the city’s water crisis, stating that urgent action is needed to avoid a complete disaster following an inspection of the bone dry Umzingwane river.

Mayor Coltart highlighted the severity of the situation, emphasising the need for immediate financial assistance to implement short term remedial measures.

“The situation in Bulawayo is critical. Our dams are terribly low and none of the rivers feeding into them are flowing. We need to take urgent action before it’s too late,” Mayor Coltart stated.

Water Shortage Area

During the February Full Council meeting held on the 7th of February, many councillors echoed Mayor Coltart’s sentiments, calling for Bulawayo to be declared a water shortage area and urging government intervention. Some councillors emphasised the need for immediate solutions to address the crisis.

In addition to the low water levels, the city is facing a logistical challenge with only one operating bowser out of eight. This has resulted in a crisis in areas where water does not reach, such as parts of Cowdray Park.

“We need to act fast to prevent a complete water catastrophe in Bulawayo. The government must step in and provide the necessary financial assistance to implement the proposed short term measures,” Mayor Coltart urged.

Capacity

The proposed solutions include getting the Nyamandhlovu aquifer pumps up to full capacity, constructing a diversionary pipeline on the Mtshabezi pipeline direct to the Umzingwane pump station, upgrading the Inyankuni dam pump station, and duplicating the pipeline from Insiza dam to Ncema water purification works.

“The BCC and local engineering companies have the capacity to implement these measures, but we need urgent financial assistance to do so. Bulawayo cannot afford to wait any longer,” Mayor Coltart concluded.