Zimbabwe’s busiest border post, Beitbridge faces imminent closure or reduced operation hours because of acute water shortages after the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) cut water supplies to Beitbridge town on Monday this week.
This comes at a time when Beitbridge Municipality is worried about open defecation as people are no longer able to use water-driven toilets due to the water shortages.
Zimborders general manager Nqobile Ncube said on Friday the two boreholes at the border post were unable to sustain the border post round the clock operation.
"Our two boreholes cannot sustain a continuous run of the border post and can only do so much," said Ncube whose company upgraded the border post to the tune of US$300 million and will run it for 17 years from completion date.
ZINWA spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga was yet to respond to questions on talks between the parastatal and the Beitbridge Municipality.
The municipality Zinwa $2 711 362 in unpaid water bills. Zinwa and other government departments owe Beitbridge over $5 million.
Health officials warned on Tuesday of possible disaster from diseases triggered by lack of water.
Beitbridge town clerk Loud Ramakgapola moaned about the increased incidences of open defecation in the border town.
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"This is further increased by queues of haulage trucks to the border. We are not sure what is causing this. As for water, we are negotiating, " he said.
Beitbridge has reportedly dispatched senior officials to Harare to speed up negotiations
"They have gone to head offices of departments that owe them and will ultimately approach the Ministry of Finance and Investment Promotion to ask for interventions with the defaulting departments,” said a councillor who asked not to be named.
Politics has also been included in the water debate with Zanu PF faithful accusing the opposition-run local authority of failure.
In turn, opposition politicians complained about government interference in day to day activities of local authorities.
