The bursting of sewer in the Central Business District in Bulawayo has given residents a headache as it puts them in a serious danger of contracting waterborne diseases.

The burst, which exploded along Main Street and 8th Avenue, triggered disappointment from the residents who said the Bulawayo City Council can do better to curb sewer bursts.

In an interview, Philippine Brown a local resident expressed her concerns: “I am very very disappointed by the failure of the council to maintain the sewer system in the CBD. I am not sure what we need to do as residents to put an end to this negligence. Perhaps we need to petition the city council this is totally unacceptable especially in the CBD”, she said.

Local government activists also raised concern on the incident but said efforts are already underway to ensure that councils are capacitated to offer essential services to the people.

“The bursting of the sewer in the CBD is a sign that the sewer reticulation system is obsolete and needs to be replaced. It is also a sign that the government has continued to neglect local authorities and in the process incapacitating them by vesting all the authority of running local authorities in the Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, Ignatius Chombo,” said Anele Dube, an activist.

Council has not only failed to repair the sewer system around the country, refuse collection has also been a challenge to it.

While activist blames the failure of local authorities to offer service to the people to years of corruption in government, government blames “illegal sanctions” imposed on the country by the western nations.