Paida Mukono
CHIREDZI – There are rampant cases of people relieving themselves in the open especially in new and uncompleted residential areas due to lack of sanitary facilities in those areas in Chiredzi town, it has been learnt.
Speaking during an engagement meeting which was facilitated by the Zimbabwean Liberators Platform (ZLP) and attended by residents and council personnel, Tshovani residents complained that open defecation was common in ward 4, 5 and 6.
“There is need to educate residents on hygienic practices so that we avoid another cholera outbreak. If the trend continues, we will end up recording cases of cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid.
“People staying in the newly constructed areas around Joina City just after Makondo and other areas have no running water yet we have many more people moving in there,” said community services officer, Prettymore Chikerema.
In Chiredzi, it has become common for people to move into their houses before they are completed and before all facilities are installed as a way of escaping the burden of paying rent.
Others also move into to their unfinished houses on un-serviced land to protect their structures from thieves.
Residents also said in the Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle houses in ward 4, people are relieving themselves in plastic bags and dumping them anywhere because there is no water in the houses.
“We have some people who throw plastic bags of faeces at neighbours’ homesteads during the night so that they do not have to deal with the matter themselves,” said a resident of the area.
Town engineer, Wesley Kauma said council would consider barring people from occupying un-serviced houses.
“If this continues we will have to make sure that there are no people who stay in houses with no water and sanitary facilities,” Kauma said.news
