Public Toilet Shortage Plagues Kwekwe City
The City of Kwekwe is facing a looming health crisis due to a severe shortage of public toilets in the Central Business District (CBD), with only two facilities available for use. This scarcity has led residents to resort to defecating in alleys and bushes, particularly around the bus rank and market area, resulting in a pervasive stench of human waste.
According to Alex Homela, Secretary General of the Kwekwe Residents and Rate Payers Association (KRRA), the existing public toilets are inadequate and poorly maintained, lacking basic amenities such as water and often being clogged. Despite efforts to engage the council on the issue, little progress has been made, with the focus primarily on pay toilets that cater to specific groups rather than public facilities accessible to all.
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Comparatively, Masvingo CBD, which is smaller in size, boasts three public toilets, highlighting the stark disparity in sanitation infrastructure between the two cities. This deficiency in Kwekwe’s sanitation infrastructure comes amid concerns about the city’s susceptibility to cholera outbreaks, with 11 cases and three deaths reported recently.
Mayor Albert Zinhanga acknowledged the problem and assured that efforts are underway to address it, with plans to refurbish the existing public toilets at the bus terminus. However, the impending demolition of another pay toilet in the CBD to make way for a new court building adds further complications to the situation, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive sanitation solutions in the city.
