Luveve Diarrhoea Outbreak: A Year On, No Answers

Luveve villagers dumped mock coffins outside the housing office in protest of diarrhoea outbreak which claimed many lives. Image by Newsday

BY LIZWE SEBATHA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | NOV 14, 2021

A year on, following an outbreak that killed 13 people in Luveve, locals are demanding answers. Who is to blame? Without clear answers, how can this be prevented in the future?

BULAWAYO (The Citizen Bulletin) — In June 2020, Bulawayo woke up to a mock coffin protest after residents used cardboard caskets to vent their anger against the local authority over a killer diarrhoea outbreak.

The mock coffins were dumped outside the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) offices in Luveve suburb, the epicentre of the diarrhoea outbreak.

The outbreak killed 13 residents and infected several thousands of others, sending panic among locals already grappling with fears of COVID-19 infection.

At the time, residents were going for days without water after the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) decommissioned three of the city’s five supply dams.

The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) dragged the BCC to court demanding answers from the local authority over the diarrhoea outbreak, but judgement was reserved.

A year on, residents are still demanding answers.

“Council has tried as much as possible to wiggle out of its culpability in the unfortunate tragedy of Luveve. To date, they (BCC) still have not released the report of the incident. They are hoping it will die a natural death and be forgotten. But who can forget their relatives?” asks Patrick Ndlovu, a city resident.

Initially, the council blamed residents for using dirty containers to store water for domestic use.

“Council as a paid service provider who provided tainted goods that led to the fatalities is criminally liable for those deaths. This is one reason why the council does not want to release the report. They are attempting to hide their liability,” Ndlovu adds.

On October 29, 2021, a memorial service for the Luveve victims was held at Luveve’s Beit Hall.

A July 2020 environmental, management and engineering services committee report revealed that residents could have been drinking water contaminated by mud and sewer.

According to the report, quality tests done by the council at its Criterion, Ncema and Cowdray showed that suitable potable water could have been contaminated through leakages linked to water pipe bursts.

“This water-shedding has generally impacted the quality of water; this is evidenced by an increase in the number of water complaints received within the city. The complaints are largely related to odour and presence of particles (turbid) in the water of which various factors have been attributed to these changes in water quality,” the report read in part.

“The factors include suspected ingress of sewage-contaminated water through leaking points into the potable water pipes and occasional depletion of water at service reservoirs and subsequent agitation of accumulated mud in the reservoirs leading to carry-over of the same to the distribution network.”

In the court application, the BPRA wanted an order directing the BCC to provide water tests results, a maintenance schedule for its sewer and water pipes, a map of the sewer and water pipes and tests of soil swabs in some selected areas and samples of the pipes “that we can send for testing” among other documentation.

Luveve water queues in 2020...BCC initially blamed residents for using dirty containers to store water for domestic use. Image by The Zimbabwe Sentinel

Khumbulani Maphosa, the Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) coordinator, says the diarrhoea outbreak issue must never be swept under the carpet.

“It’s a serious issue that should not be swept under the carpet. If we are a constitutional democracy, as we claim, then we should not sweep that issue under the carpet. We should ensure that justice prevails to enable the families to find closure easily,” Maphosa says.

Dumisani Nkomo, a Bulawayo commentator and director of Habbakuk Trust civic group, adds that an independent inquiry into the diarrhoea outbreak is needed.

“This was a very tragic and lamentable incident which should never happen in a modern society and particularly Bulawayo,” Nkomo notes.

“There must be an independent enquiry into this incident to ensure closure, and families must be compensated. Someone somewhere must take responsibility for the loss of so many lives.”
Dumisani Nkomo, Habbakuk Trust director

It is the first time in years for the city to be affected by a killer diarrhoea outbreak of the 2020 magnitude.

At the height of the outbreak, the council announced it needed US$1 482 000 to address issues of water contamination in Luveve and surrounding suburbs.

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The council action plans involved the rehabilitation of its water and sewer infrastructure as it has reportedly outlived its lifespan.

But with a reserved court judgement, residents remain in the dark over what transpired.

“If judgement came out and implicated the council, as we anticipate, then we should be judging the council based on their adherence to the judgement. However, as things stand, the council is not legally obliged to do anything and release its findings. We are in a catch 22 situation,” Maphosa says.

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