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Bongani Ndlovu and Mkhululi Ncube -Chronicle Reporters
LABORATORY tests have revealed that Bulawayo rivers are heavily polluted with chemicals and effluent posing a threat to aquatic life and the lives of people living in surrounding areas.

Some of the pollution emanates from abattoirs, service stations, food processing plants and funeral parlours.
High levels of chemicals such as manganese have been found in the rivers.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited Mazai, and Matsheumhlophe rivers that feed into Umguza River as well as Phekiwe River which feed into Khami Dam.

The first stop for the news crew was Mazai River which cuts through, Thorngroove, Makokoba and Mzilikazi suburbs.
Going near Mazai River, one is greeted by a pungent smell probably from human waste or chemicals.

The water is very dirty as it has all sorts of rubbish that include plastics, tyres, tins, pampers, bottles and other objects.
It seems residents are dumping all their rubbish in the river. At one spot there was a distinct smell of decomposing flesh and we later discovered that it was a dead dog dumped in the river.

It does not look like there are any fish or frogs in the river.

At Phekiwe River along Solusi Road that cuts across Nkulumane 12, the story is the same.

The water is also dirty as a result of rubbish which residents are throwing in the river.
Matsheumhlophe River that cuts through Suburbs, Bradfield, Centenary Park, Sunny Side, Paddonhurst and North End is also heavily polluted.

Matsheumhlophe River’s water is also dirty like that of Mazai River and it seems there is also no sign of aquatic life.
Along the same river near Eveline Girls High School grounds, there are squatters living on the banks of the river.

In 2014 there was a public outcry over the pollution of Umguza River due to the discharge of raw sewage by the Bulawayo City Council.

Environmental Management Agency EMA director of Environmental Protection Mr Christopher Mushava told delegates attending an environmental management strategic dialogue for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province that was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry that a study by EMA of Bulawayo’s four city rivers Mazai, Matsheumhlophe, Umguza as well as Phekiwe is pointing to a gloomy picture.

“In terms of the state of the rivers that run through Bulawayo we have a programme of water monitoring. We take water samples from the rivers that run through Bulawayo every month. We take the samples to our laboratory and analyse the quality of water and level of pollution. We have been testing the water since 2007 and the rivers that we are sampling are Mazai, Phekiwe, Umguza and Matsheumhlophe. What we are seeing is that the water quality is deteriorating every year,” he said.

He warned that the outbreak of cholera and other water-borne diseases may hit Bulawayo if no corrective measures are taken.

Mr Mushava said there is also heavy flow of raw sewage into the rivers due to sewage pipe bursts which go for days without being fixed.

“Last year we carried out a survey and we recorded the number of sewage bursts and their frequency in all city wards. The situation is bad as we have raw sewage discharged into the environment for days.

The health of our communities is at risk because we have pollution coming from abattoirs, breweries, elution plants, tanneries, service stations, transport operators, food processing plants ,food outlets and funeral parlours among others,” he said.
Mr Mushava said people living downstream are in danger as they are exposed to polluted water while others are using the polluted water for irrigation and selling the products to city residents.

He said their tests have also revealed that the level of phosphate in rivers has continued to increase beyond accepted levels which is affecting aquatic life as well.

“Phosphate is the level of nutrients in your water and in 2014 the water in Umguza River was good but since then it has gone way up than the expected maximum limit and the story is the same for all other rivers. Even tests for oxygen in all the rivers shows that they are struggling to meet the required level due to discharging of waste water and sewage into our rivers. Going forward it means it is going to be difficult to sustain our cities from a water point of view,” he said.

Speaking at the same meeting, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said action is needed as the city`s environment was deteriorating very fast.

He said all stakeholders who are contributing to pollution of the rivers must come together and act to find a solution before disaster strikes.

“We cannot continue on this trajectory and expect this laid back attitude on this matter to end with no serious consequences to ourselves and the environment. I will engage the Minister of Local Government and Public Works (July Moyo) to ensure that revenue collected for the purposes of waste management is deployed appropriately. No deviation of such funds will be tolerated and indeed stiff penalties will be introduced,” he said.

Bulawayo Provincials Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube said the city is in a mess and this will affect residents and even future generations. — @themkhsut.