By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
THE Municipality of Beitbridge is set to overhaul part of the ageing sewer network in Dulibadzimu, with 500 metres of new pipeline expected to be installed within the next two months.
The project is already at the procurement stage and is part of council’s efforts to address recurring sewer bursts and improve service delivery in the high-density suburb.
Town Mayor Peter Pirato Mafuta revealed the plans to Ziyah news network after leading councillors, the Town Clerk and council management on an inspection of municipal projects and the town’s cleanliness on Monday.
Mafuta said the inspection exposed several burst sewer lines, which he attributed to ageing infrastructure that was designed to serve a much smaller population.
“We observed a number of burst sewers within the town because we are still using old pipes, the 1.5mm that used to cater for less population when the town was established,” he said.
He said Dulibadzimu suburb was among the areas requiring urgent attention, with council planning to replace the existing pipeline with larger-capacity pipes.
“There is need to change the pipeline, especially in Dulibadzimu to at least 4.5mm,” Mafuta said.
He said council had allocated funds for the initial 500-metre replacement programme.
“As of now, on our budget we had put 500 metres and it is now at procurement stage and we are hoping in the next two months we will embark on installing the 500 metres pipe,” he said.
Mafuta said council was also working to strengthen operations at the town’s sewer ponds, with plans to procure new machinery to avert possible disruptions.
He was speaking after the municipal team visited several strategic points, including the Beitbridge Border Post, water treatment plant, rank, Wamlala Stream, Dulibadzimu, water tank, Tshitaudze Market and the proposed new market.
Mafuta said the inspection was conducted as part of efforts to keep Beitbridge clean and improve municipal service delivery in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s clean cities and towns drive.
However, council’s response to the infrastructure challenges could be affected by resource and staffing shortages, particularly in the environmental department.
“We observed that we do not have enough resources and are short-staffed, especially the environment department,” he said.
Mafuta said council’s technical team and policymakers would explore options to address the staffing gap.
“The technical people, with the help of the policymakers, will look into it and see if we can employ or assign from other departments within the council to fill in the gaps,” he said.
Sewer bursts have remained a cause for concern in Beitbridge, particularly in areas that have experienced repeated failures of the ageing network like areas around Dulibadzimu stadium and near Mashakada at Lonley.
Residents will be hoping that the planned 500-metre replacement prioritises the worst-affected areas and brings lasting relief to communities battling recurring sewer problems.