Tunatazama - Community Monitors

Diamond Relocated Villages Face Water Challenges

Mufute Tawanda ATRDT Youth Chair/20/12/2017

Its now 3 weeks since Zimbabwe National Water Authority and ZESA closed all source of water supplies to the two communities namely Anjin and Jinani.A close source has said that ZESA had diconnected electricity to ZINWA pumps citing non payment of bills that amounts to $15 000 . The disconnection left the communities to survive from unprotected water supplies like wells , rivers and gullies. The families are finding it difficult to pay bills since their is no source of livilihood projects to sustain their living. The new company ZCDC is doing nothing to improve the conditions in Arda Transau. Efforts have been done by Arda Transau Relocation Development Trust Youth but nothing has come forth since the local authority is protecting the company instead of serving the people. It seems ZCDC has no interest in the relocated families proved by one of their employee who work in Arda Transau who when contacted by ATRDT Youth Chair Mufute Tawanda proved to be unaware of the situation. ATRDT now worries that the cases of water bone diseases could be on rise and with schools opening in January Chirasika Primary School with enrolment of more than 1300 pupils will be having unsafe water to drink.

Prepared by Mufute Tawanda ATRDT Youth Chair

 

SUB STANDARD HOUSES CONSTRUCTED FOR DIAMOND RELOCATED FAMILIES
Communities relocated from Marange Chiadzwa to Arda Transau to pave way for formal diamond mining are not happy by the standard of houses constructed by mining companies. Most houses have developed crakes with some crakes getting more dangerous each passing rainy season. Most of these houses were built on water ways and others on mashy places.Construction of these houses was not closely supervised since some foundations did not match different soil textures in Arda Transau. Insufficient cement was used for some plasters are pilling off. Insufficient roofing nails were used during construction resulting in some roofs blown off during stormy weathers. Considering numerous defects these houses have developed in less than 10 years one wonders the said value of $50 000 per housing unit is realistic. It only shows that they were hurridly built with no supervision.

Prepared by Mufute Tawanda ATRDT Youth Chair