Livingstone’s  Libuyu residents  cry for flushing toilets

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 11:29:13 +0000

By ANNIE ZULU

RESIDENTS of one of Livingstone’s oldest townships Libuyu have continued to use pit latrines which are               causing serious health risks, especially during the rainy season.

And the Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWASCO) has stated that its project to build toilets in the area has stalled due to lack of funding.

The residents lamented that lack of flushing toilets in the area was becoming a critical issue that needed to be addressed urgently.

Speaking on behalf of the residents, Ms Mary Mushota told the Daily Nation that people in the township were using unsafe latrines, while some have resorted to using plastic bags to relieve themselves, which she described as a health hazard.

Ms Mushota said the use of unsafe latrines and plastic bags was raising alarm of a possible waterborne disease outbreak.

She appealed to Government to ensure that the project to construct toilets in the area was completed soon to curb the threat.

“People here have no toilets, they depend on pit latrines and nowadays some people have even resorted to using plastic bags to relieve themselves, which is not safe. Plastic bags filled with human faecal matter are all over.

“Government must come to our aid and help us have decent toilets because this is not healthy,” she said.

And SWASCO regional manager Goodson Masheka said the company was aware of the situation in Libuyu.

Mr Masheka said the utility was still waiting for the Devolution Trust Fund to be established to fund its project of constructing toilets in the area.

He expressed worry that lack of proper toilets in the area might lead to outbreaks of disease, hence the need to quickly fund the project.

“The project has stalled due to lack of funding, otherwise we are aware of the situation and its dangers,” Mr Masheka said.

He assured the people of Libuyu that NWASCO would deliver and complete the project as soon as funds were available.

The project, dubbed