Retired politician and former Minister of Water Resources Development and Management Samuel Sipepa Nkomo has urged residents to consider supporting the Bulawayo City Council’s (BCC) plans on recycling water from Khami Dam.
Speaking to the Chronicle on Tuesday, Nkomo, who was a cabinet minister in the Government of National Unity between 2009 and 2013, said some countries are recycling water which is worse than that in Khami Dam. Said Nkomo:
We need to support city council and Zinwa and Government in recycling that water for Bulawayo. Even to date, I think we can do it.
We can use the Khami Dam as council has said because it is doable. Because during my time as minister of water I visited a number of countries, including countries in Africa.
They recycle worse water than the Khami water. And I support what the city council is saying with regards to recycling water.
BCC has proposed to purify Khami Dam water for drinking and has received a backlash from some residents who consider the water unsuitable for human consumption.
Khami Dam is full of Industrial and human waste.
Meanwhile, BCC is facing a critical water shortage and is implementing a 120-hour weekly water-shedding exercise.