Community Water Alliance held a community dialogue meeting on 20 February 2019 at Lwendulu hall in Hwange.
The community dialogue meeting’s agenda was to discuss water, sanitation and hygiene challenges in Ward 9, Hwange. Hwange Colliery is responsible for distributing water to residents in ward 9.
Representatives of Hwange Colliery, local councilor Mrs Chirwa and representative of the local Member of Parliament attended the meeting.
Residents at the meeting expressed grave concern on the ablution system in the ward where community toilets are used. Residents pointed out that the toilets’ flushing system is not working and that there is no privacy when one is using the community toilet.
The other concerns raised include inadequate potable water supply which is supplied 2 hours from 5 am in the morning and 2 hours from 6pm in the afternoon. Some areas have had no access to potable water for the past 20 years.
Hwange Colliery draws water from a trans-boundary water source Zambezi River and the water is treated before distribution to residents in Ward 9. The infrastructure supplying water in Hwange is old, dilapidated and has suffered from vandalism by some members of the community.
The meeting resolved that there is need to do the following:
1) Resuscitate water point committees set in the past by Hwange Colliery and train the committees so that there is community stewardship in management of water resources and infrastructure.
2) Convening an all stakeholder’s conference in Hwange, that will come up with agreed short, medium and long term solutions to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) challenges in Hwange.
3) Training of communities on water issues which include laws and policies on water provision; social accountability; billing for water services and legal content of the human right to water.
4) Convening of a bigger meeting with residents of Hwange and improving mobilization to address low attendance that characterized the community dialogue meeting.
Community Water Alliance implore providers of WASH services to respect and fulfill the human right to water contained in Section 77(a) of the Constitution and human dignity as stated under Section 51. We implore stakeholders to help Hwange residents on access to water and improving sanitation conditions.
Source: Community Water Alliance
