By Tadiwa Shunje
MASHAVA – About 200 households in Mushandike Village One, Ward 5, Mashava, are set to benefit from a new Presidential Village Business Unit (VBU), a development that brings much-needed relief to a community that has endured weeks without running water.
The project, funded under the Presidential VBU programme, includes a solar-powered borehole, two jojo tanks, pumps and pipelines that will supply water to a community nutrition garden and nearby households, easing the burden on residents who have been forced to rely on unsafe sources.
Speaking to TellZim News, Ward 5 Councillor Korowa Manyame said the project targets one of the area’s most water-stressed communities and is expected to provide a reliable source of water for households that have struggled for years.
“Around 200 households will benefit from this project. They will fetch water from the borehole because water is a major challenge in this area and many people do not have reliable access to water. The water will also support the community garden,” he said.
While one borehole serving 200 households is far from sufficient, the councillor said it was at least a step in the right direction and will provide some relief for families who have gone for weeks without access to clean water.
The councillor said Ward 5 had 18 boreholes, but breakdowns had worsened the water situation. One of the major boreholes at Bere Clinic had stopped working after its engine failed, affecting nearly 3,000 residents.
“Nearly 3,000 people depend on the Bere Clinic borehole. It has been repaired, and it will help people access water more quickly. Before the repairs, people could queue from morning until midday before getting water,” said Manyame.
Residents, however, say the water crisis remains far from over in Mashava. One resident, Master Balaka, said households were going for two weeks without running water, forcing many to fetch water from Shashe River and an untreated pipeline known locally as Chifafafa.
“We have gone for two weeks without water. People are now fetching water from Shashe and from the Chifafafa pipeline because there is no alternative,” said Balaka.
He also said several community boreholes were no longer working due to mechanical failures, leaving families with few options.
Balaka further alleged that despite Muzhwi Dam having sufficient water, residents continue to experience prolonged outages, a situation he described as inexplicable.
“If we go for a month without water while Muzhwi Dam is full, then the explanations we are being given do not make sense,” he said.
Mashava, once a thriving mining town, is now a shadow of its former self. The town has become a hub for makorokoza (illegal miners) who have flocked to the area in search of gold, further straining the already limited resources.
