A SURVEY conducted by the Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) has revealed that 98% of the residents in Bulawayo want the city council to consult them on solutions regarding the water crisis being experienced in the city.
The survey came after Bulawayo City Council (BCC) recently revealed that it was taking on board a Dutch public water utility company Vitens Evides International to assist in the transition process.
An MIHR report released on Thursday states that the residents demanded to be included in the whole process meant to alleviate water challenges.
“Establishing a lasting, viable and relevant solution to the City of Bulawayo’s acute water ‘crisis’ is a shared responsibility of all the stakeholders inclusive of the BCC officials, the elected councillors, institutional stakeholders and the city’s residents,” the report read.
“BCC has made a resolution to establish a corporatised water utility company wholly-owned by the council to ring-fence water resources. BCC has further engaged a Dutch public water utility company Vitens Evides International to assist in the transition process.
“An MIHR snap survey shows that 98% of the sampled citizens want the city authorities to consult and involve the residents in the discussions and thinking around the idea of a water utility company.”
MIHR noted that a lasting and viable solution to the actual causes of water shortage in the city was essential for the protection and promotion of human rights.
“BCC officials have made a decision to establish a ‘ring-fencing’ mechanism for water resources and specifically a ‘corporatised utility wholly owned by the council with safeguards against shareholder dilution’,” the report read.
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“The local authority has also engaged a Dutch utility company Vitens Evides International to assist in the transition process. The decision to come up with this utility company has been exclusive of the residents as no public consultations have been made regarding the matter.”
According to MIHR, 317 residents (constituting 98% of the sample) said BCC should consult them in the thinking, design and formulation of the water utility company.
The report states that only a few 2% of the respondents (eight people) were either not sure or of the opinion that there is no need to consult the residents as the elected councillors are representatives of the residents.
