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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Operation Murambatsvina - Countrywide evictions of urban poor - Index of articles
No
water, sewer for Cowdray's Garikai project as yet
Lesley
Moyo,The Zimbabwe Independent
November 03, 2006
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/viewinfo.cfm?linkid=11&id=8297
GOVERNMENT is yet to construct water and sewerage reticulation infrastructure
under Operation Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai at Cowdray Park in Bulawayo.
This emerged
after reports that the Bulawayo City Council had issued eviction
orders to beneficiaries of the housing project to prevent an outbreak
of diseases as the two-roomed houses have unsanitary living conditions.
The local authority
said the evictions were meant to prevent diarrhoea outbreaks and
respiratory infections and at the same time enforce compliance with
the public health by-laws. The houses do not have potable water
and sewerage reticulation.
Contacted for
comment, chairman of the provincial inter-ministerial taskforce
on reconstruction, Brave Matavire, refused to talk to this reporter.
"I cannot
comment on that," said Matavire before terminating the call.
Repeated efforts
to get a comment from Cain Mathema, Governor and Resident Minister
of Bulawayo, were fruitless as his phone went unanswered.
The construction,
which is being carried out by the Zimbabwe National Army, has been
stalled for almost a year after government failed to provide funds
to complete the houses.
According to
a recent Health, Housing and Education council report, failure by
the government to put up water and sewer reticulation services was
exposing residents to diseases.
"Developing
a project of this nature and size on unserviced land had inherent
problems that in the long-run negate whatever gains may be envisaged
in providing shelter to residents," the report said.
"Lack of
water and sewer reticulation compromised hygiene standards and created
a nuisance of fouling of open spaces. In fact, residents'
swapped death from exposure to the elements for death through diarrhoea
and respiratory infections as a result of unsanitary living conditions,"
read the council report in part.
The council
report said the houses should be occupied after certification of
occupation from the building and health inspectorate.
Operation Hlalani
Kuhle/Garikai, which began last year after Operation
Murambatsvina which left thousands homeless, is moving at a
sluggish pace.
The government
said the operation was meant to rid the cities and towns of slums
but the operation was condemned internationally as another assault
on human rights.
Well-placed
relatives and children of government and Zanu PF party officials
have been accused of corruptly grabbing the houses while Murambatsvina
victims languish in the open.
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