Staff Reporter

Kwekwe City Council’s Ward 9 Councillor Judah Chimombo has lambasted council for its failure to tackle the pressing issue of sewage ponds turned mosquito breeding grounds.

Chimombo minced no words as he voiced his frustration during Thursday’s full council meeting, accusing his colleagues of complacency and ineffectiveness in addressing the dire situation.

He raised concern over a trend where crucial development issues take a back seat to leisurely discussions and indulgence in biscuits munching.

“We have sewer running and creating ponds that breed mosquitoes in the community and these need to be addressed,” he said.

Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Chimombo lamented the council’s penchant for prolonged discussions without tangible outcomes.

“We have held two or three full council meetings but we are not addressing issues; we are just here to talk and eat biscuits with no progress,” he said.

The stagnant sewage ponds, a result of the old malfunctioning sewer system, have become fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes, exacerbating the risk of malaria transmission in the suburbs.

His counterpart Alex Senge had initially raised the issue inquiring if council had acquired the chemical repellants to spray in swampy areas.

“Did we get chemicals to spray in the swampy areas as discussed?” queried Senge.

Kwekwe City Council Acting Health Director Sister Shumba told the house that spraying of swampy areas was mainly done during the rainy season.

Senge told the house that the spraying needs to be done regularly.

“The situation in Kwekwe is no longer seasonal because of water leakages and sewage which creates swamps. It needs to be done regularly.

In response, Mayor Albert Zinhanga said council will prioritize the issue and work towards finding a swift solution.

“We acknowledge the gravity of the situation and are committed to taking concrete steps to address the sewage pond problem and alleviate the threat it poses to public health. I urge councilors to work together with health department in identifying these areas of concern,” he said.

The full council meeting also shelved dealing with illegal tuckshop and shebeen operators for the next full council an issue that was raised in the last full council meeting in March.

The issue could not be addressed as the report was not available following a request from Councillor Siziwe Ncube.

“We talked about illegal tuckshops and shebeens last time where is the audit report?’ she inquired.

Councillor for Ward 7 and audit committee chairperson, Kudakwashe Gwamuri said they are still waiting for the report from the security department hence the issue can be shelved for the next full council meeting.

“On shebeens we are waiting for a report from the security officer. We can only give feedback in the next full council meeting,” he said.