"2023/24 Drought May Be The Worst Since 1980"

Bulawayo City’s water situation has been worsening since 2018 amid indications that the drought experienced during the 2023/24 rainy season could probably be the worst season since independence in 1980.

This was said by Bulawayo City Council (BCC) Director of Engineering Services, Skhumbuzo Ncube, during the stakeholder consultative meeting to unpack the local authority’s service delivery blueprint, which was launched by President Mnangagwa on 01 November 2023. Said Ncube as per CITE:

We have been in this situation since 2018; the water situation has been worsening since 2018, 2019 till date.

Our dams have never been full since 2018; actually, 2024-2025 might be the worst drought since independence. 1982 was even better than this year in 2024.

Currently, our dams are sitting at 43 per cent. You know that around this time, in February to March, this is the peak of the rainy season.

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Naturally, we should have our dams around 65-70 per cent full, but we are at 43 per cent.

We have been shedding water; we had 20 hours in 2022, and it moved to 72 hours in August 2022 up to November 26, 2022. We entered 120 hours recently in December.

So, the situation is becoming worse and worse, and when the situation worsens, we have those high-lying areas—Tashas in Mganwini, Nkulumane, Pumula, Magwegwe, Entumbane, Cowdray Park.

In those areas, when it is like this, they will always have a problem.

Meanwhile, Bulawayo mayor Mayor David Coltart urged residents not to panic saying the local authority has strategies to ensure that taps do not completely run dry during the dry season.

More: Pindula News