Villagers in the Chirumhanzu Zibangwe constituency have been purely reduced to water scavengers as they vigorously wonder from one water source to another foraging water for household use.
Unexpectedly, the trend of water shortages has also hit rural communities as villagers and livestock usually do not have access to clean water.
As the crisis escalates, people in the Moffat area, Chirumhanzu Zibagwe have resorted to frantic measures which see them consuming unsafe water.
“To us water is like a diamond, it is the first thing everybody thinks of when they wake up,” said a villager who requested anonymity.
Water is reused countless times until it is not proper for human use
Rigorous water shortages in Chirumhanzu Zibabgwe has led to the commodification of water as those with farm carts make others pay to have water delivered.
“If you do not have a farm cart you are forced to pay to have water delivered at your doorsteps,” said another villager who identified himself as Christian Dube.
Villagers who own farm carts ferry water from the one and only borehole in the area, which is 10 km away from households and sell it to the less privileged .
“Water customers pay cash or grain, for a load one pays $5 or 20 kilograms of maize,” boosted Tichaona Sithole who is in the business of selling water.
Some of the villagers reported that they have to bath once in three days so as to maintain the family bathing turns.
The brunts of water calamities are also extended to livestock, which in the dry season has to skip a day without drinking water.
Wells in the area have dried up
Due to financial constraints government is not able to drill boreholes and is therefore looking to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to radically improve infrastructure networks and enhance service delivery.
Villagers have pinned hopes on their new Member of Parliament, Auxillia Mnagangwa, who, during, her campaigns, indicated that she is concerned with issues that affect the people.
During the campaigns prior to the March 27 by-elections, Cde Auxillia Mnagagwa said if elected, she would do her work diligently and put her husband, Vice President Emmerson Mngwagwa, to task so that they implement pending as well as new projects.
