By Beverly Bizeki
Masvingo City is grappling with an unusual yet serious sewage challenge as used condoms are topping the list of items causing grit buildup and repeated sewer blockages while also crippling the city’s aging infrastructure.
Masvingo City Mayor and ward 4 councilor Alec Tabe made the startling revelation during a press conference held at the town house where he was presenting on the state of affairs of the city on May 8, 2025 and detailed how improper disposal of used condoms was causing a headache for the local authority.
“We’ve remove several bins worth of used condoms from our sewer system, which cause significant clogging and blockages. It’s unacceptable that people are disposing of these items in a way that’s putting unnecessary strain on our infrastructure. We urge residents to please dispose of condoms and other non-biodegradable items responsibly,” said Tabe.
He went on to say the high volume of grit was causing wear and tear on mechanical equipment at the raw sewage pump stations.
“Most of the mechanical equipment wears faster because of the high volumes of grit getting to the raw sewage pump stations. We continue to consistently swab the main sewer lines to reduce the volume of grit reaching the pump stations. We have budgeted to buy two new pumps in the year 2025,” said Tabe.
Speaking to TellZim News after the presser, Tabe said the situation was bad such that 5 to 6 bins of grit consisting mostly of used condoms were collected per week on average. He however said the city had an average 360 sewer blockage every month.
“The state of our sewage reticulation is fair with an average of 360 sewer blockages being attended to every month by the two maintenance teams that service the city. About 95 percent of the reported sewer complaints are addressed within a period of 24 hours,” said Tabe.
On the stalled Mucheke Trunk Sewer project, Tabe said construction was still at 76 percent with progress depending on the release of devolution funds from central government to finish the long delayed upgrade.
