DESPITE being located near the giant river that separates Zimbabwe and Zambia, many villagers in Kariba area, Mashonaland West, are struggling to access clean and potable water for domestic use resulting in them walking approximately 10km to the river to fetch the precious liquid.
The villagers risk being attacked by dangerous wild animals, according to Kariba legislator Shine Collin Gwangwaba.
In an interview with NewsDay, Gwangwaba said it was unfortunate that communities in his constituency could not draw water from the Zambezi River.
“People risk attacks by wildlife while walking long distances to fetch water. We should get access to Zambezi water for irrigation and domestic use,” he said.
Gwangwaba said the most affected areas were wards 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 under Nyaminyami Rural District Council.
He said some of the villagers were very far from the river hence they walked the whole day to fetch water, risking their lives in an area with dangerous wild animals.
The Zambezi River has the mainland water body, Kariba Dam with large volumes of water that are used to generate electricity for Zimbabwe and Zambia.
However, despite being close to such a huge water source, the communities in Kariba still complain of water problems 45 years after the country gained independence.
- Zanu PF 'threatens' terror attacks
- ZAS: Much ado about nothing
- Kanyemba: Risking lives to stay alive
- ‘Binga not fully marketed’
Keep Reading
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos recently told Parliament that the ministry has deployed a team to the Zambezi River to carry out an assessment on the accessibility of water to the communities along the river.
Haritatos said the team would also assess how communities could enjoy the benefits of getting water from the Zambezi River.
