Bulawayo water crisis hits NUST students

NUST students who rent in surrounding suburbs have been thirsty ever since the beginning of 2012 dry season, a challenge especially with them staying in large numbers.

Water rationing scheme implemented by the city fathers is like a stub on a soft skin considering the fact that at times taps only drop' tears' when students are at school.

To make matters worse  these students are staying in large numbers and when water comes in the morning, it can cut before they finish bathing. The same applies when they try to load up containers for storage; only the early birds catch the biggest grains.

Lest we forget the wash day blues when the water may just decide to quit while someone's clothes are still soaked. This has led a lot of students to repeat the same clothes over and over again; not so good for a varsity student considering the high temperatures in Bulawayo.

To stay fresh and comfortable under these high temperatures, one needs to bath at least three times a day but this is highly impractical for them considering the crisis. If someone manage to bath at least once a day (not to forget those who struggle to bath at least once in two days) and spare some water for cooking then he/she is safe.

If only they where not staying in 'bulk' then it was going to be better because a small family can manage to give its members a chance to use the precious resource.

Kombies to NUST a "life hazard"

Commuter omnibus operators on the NUST-Town route seem to be highly ignorant of the safety of their valued clients.

The kombies they provide are too old for the road and are no-longer in their original condition. Only a few loads fuel in the actual fuel tanks as most of them now operate from the 2 liter and 5 liter containers hanging outside the engine.

Most of them are now operating on jump start and this is a risk to NUST students who rely on these kombies for daily transport.

Just a day ago, one of these kombies caught fire and it was burnt to ashes serve for the frames of the body. Passengers had to fly out with their lives through the windows after they realised the are in a life threatening situation.

Almost all of these combies have oil leakages and some don't even have windows. Surprisingly, they are driven at a reckless speed and we wonder if they are driven by rational people.

To make matters worse, some of these drivers will be drunk and they don't care what happens to who because of their behaviour.

SRC, should do something about this because i'm sure they have such powers.

In pictures

Now useless, after the fire killed the business

Owners inspecting the vehicle in the morning

The helpless vehicle burning down

Almost everything now in ashes

Fire rising in the speed of light

Thugs continue terrorising us. Where are the C.O.Ps?

Thugs continue terrorising NUST students in Riverside Selborne park and Matshemhlope,places that used to be flooded by police on patrol.

On Sunday evening, another girl was attacked and nearly raped just close to her place's gate.

In Matshemhlope, a 'girls only' rented place was recently raided for the second time with robbers getting away with phones,laptops, clothes,and cash.

Last Semester, another one was raped in Selborn Park on her way home.

In Kilarney, a guy was sodomised by four thugs after robing him of his laptop.

Two people  lost their laptops to thugs right in front of NUST's gate showing that those rascals are so daring.

In Selborne park again, a girl escaped and a male friend was stabbed by a knife,fortunately not to death. They   both lost their laptops.

Another girl sustained knife injuries on her buttocks when the thugs caught up with her as she dropped off at the bus stop. Does it mean that all these stories and many others have not reached the ears of the police?

These incidences don't take place at odd hours, but during the time when students are coming from school. Avoiding walking around those times would compromise students academically. We cant afford to do that, can we?.

The neighborhood is too dark, street lights are never repaired...I wonder why they ever installed them initially.

Something must be done.

A health hazard in the name of accomodation

Just like a public toilet at a public terminus...this is one of the toilets that we

 use after  paying  $80 per  head

And that is a door...the red cable is the locking system

Cattle's kraal... and we are supposed to accept that it is a toilet

Entrance to the expensive house

The red roof behind this 'shack' is the landlord's double story house and this shack is

 supposed to serve as a home for the innocent students

This is the source of all the funny smells that entertain our noses

Raw sewage is the everyday story. 

Bricks to step on...The floor is too dirty so people bring in bricks to step on

What a shower room

Distress in the hands of ruthless landlords

The struggle continues for most students as their living conditions in the surrounding suburbs are getting harsh and harsh and by the rise of each new dawn.

 Its now almost a week without electricity at one of students' rented places which accommodates almost 40 students from NUST.

I have been staying at this place for almost two years now and what i'm writing on this page is from an ethnographic perspective not from interviews or third party narrations.

Ever since ZESA installed the pre-paid power system at this house almost a week ago, it has been a black out scenario for the tenants.

A hungry man is an angry man so at the moment these students are not seeing eye to eye with this unconcerned landlord and are considering moving out ( Which is a normal case that students don't usually stay for more than a semester at this place).

To make matters worse, he didn't even address his tenants to apologize for the inconvenience caused. To him all is normal when people are sleeping with empty bellies. A grown up person kurarira maJiggies (Having Junk food for dinner) its not funny.

This is not the only challenge at this 'dormitory' place. Ever since the beginning  of the second semester he hasn't repaired the damaged water pipes and students are surviving on borehole water which has been found unfavorable for consumption.

The previous academic year, the same landlord decided not to pay the water bill and students went for at least a month without water, not to mention that there was no borehole at that moment. Going to school without bathing became normal for those who stayed at this 'refugee camp'.

According to the survey made by this writer, this place is the dirtiest of all the houses that provide accommodation to NUST students.

Commonly known as KwaMpostori this place is being likened to the shacks which were demolished by operation Murambatsvina and the landlord doesn't even care .

"After paying $80 per head, in a room with an average of four people, this is what we get".That is the students' outcry for this week. Guys, what do you say?