Residents seek affordable sewer connection contribution

Leonard Ncube, leonard.ncube@chronicle.co.zw

VICTORIA Falls City Council is working on connecting the BD46 section of Mkhosana high density suburb to the sewer system. The suburb has been using septic tanks for more than 20 years.

The residents have over the years been complaining about the council’s failure to connect their houses to the sewer reticulation system saying the use of septic tanks had many challenges.

The local authority is implementing a US$4 million WASH project, where it is constructing overhead and underground water reservoirs in Mkhosana to address the entire WASH programme.

On Monday council had a meeting with the residents to inform them of its plans to connect their houses to the sewer reticulation system.

Speaking at the meeting, the council’s finance director, Mr Neville Ndlovu, said the local authority will soon conduct an exercise to determine the scope of work.

He said according to the calculations, each household will be asked to pay about US$1 491 to fund the sewer project.

Residents, however, said the amount is too high and asked council to reduce it as many of them could not afford to pay such an amount.

They said council should also appreciate that some of them contributed money towards servicing of the area.

“Once we agree, contractors will then move in and you should allow them access to your properties. We will also look into all the concerns you have raised including the amount each household should pay,” said Mr Ndlovu.

The meeting was organised by Ward 8 Councillor, Priscilla Mhlanga, and was meant to explain how council intended to fund the sewer project.

“We needed to find a way forward regarding the issue of connecting our houses to the sewer reticulation system,” said Clr Mhlanga.

Contributing during the meeting, residents implored council management and councillors to come up with an affordable amount that residents could contribute as the funding for the project should be shared between residents and council.

Mr Obert Dube said once people have contributed money for the project, it must be implemented as soon as possible. He expressed concern over lack of public toilets for vendors and shops at Moringa Business Centre yet residents were made to pay for sewer connection.

“People contributed money for sewer connection and pipes were bought but we still do not have public toilets,” he said.

Mr Khumbulani Mpofu, another resident, said he still has the receipts of the money he paid 20 years ago for sewer connection.

Mr Trymore Ndolo urged the council to consider that most of the homeowners are the elderly and widows who cannot afford to pay for the sewer connection.

Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association, Mr Kelvin Moyo, said council should meet part of the costs for the sewer connection project.

Former Ward 11 Councillor, Mr Edmore Zhou, said pilot sewer connection projects were done in three blocks in the suburb during his tenure before BD46 was shifted to ward 8 during the 2023 elections.

He urged council to consider engaging the homeowners to provide free labour to cut on costs.

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