The city of Bulawayo has been hit by unprecedented thefts of water metres, with over 200 households losing their water metres to thieves in the last few weeks.
Ward 17 councillor Sikhululekile Moyo expressed concern over the increase of crime cases in her ward during a Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) virtual meeting last week. The meeting was themed “a conversation about crime rise in Bulawayo’s ward 17 and 19.
“I am really worried about an upsurge in criminal activities in my ward which covers Pumula. The major challenge which residents are facing in the ward is the theft of water metres. Last month alone, more than 200 houses in Pumula South were affected by the thefts,” said Moyo who is also the caretaker councillor for Ward 19. Clayton Zana, who was the former Ward councillor was recalled from council by the Douglas Mwonzora led MDC-T last year.
The councillor also lamented over the theft of rough iron goal posts at neighbouring schools as well as the thefts of copper wire and public boreholes control boxes in the two wards.
She added that, “A lot of boreholes in the wards have been vandalized by these thieves. As councillor, I am appealing to the residents to work with the police to prevent these criminal activities.”
The meeting was necessitated by an upsurge in the theft of brass water metres and vandalism in the city. The local authority early this year indicated that it is phasing out the brass water metres to be replaced with plastic metres.