Sex for water in Chi-town

By Abel Karowangoro
Desperate girls and women in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza are resorting to the oldest trick in the book – using their bodies in exchange for favours.

The women and girls are exchanging sexual favours for a few drops of water as both councils and central government fail to deal with the water situation in most urban settings.

Chitungwiza Municipality is being blamed by residents for failing to supply water to the town, which has led to the abuse of women and girls at boreholes and wells where they fetch water.

In an interview with Nhau, Chitungwiza Municipality spokesperson Lovemore Meya condemned the behaviour of the touts and water barons, who have taken over most public water sources in the area.

“As council, we condemn this in the strongest terms,” said Meya.

“We are, however, in a quandary trying to secure funding for the water infrastructure. We have tried to secure funding from Government for the past three years to construct Muda dam but that has not yet been realised.”

Residents in Chitungwiza and most high-density suburbs in Harare spend long hours in queues for their turn to fetch water.

A survey conducted by Nhau in Chitungwiza area of St Mary’s Chigovanyika, revealed that there are youths that have teamed up to control the boreholes, and are forcing people to pay them in cash or kind for easier access to the precious liquid.

Consequently, women and girls, are at the receiving end of this as they are responsible for providing household water in most homes, particularly in high-density suburbs.

Gogo Muza told Nhau that “what is happening here is not pleasing anymore, girls and even older women are giving in to these boys’ demands who claim to be maintaining the borehole”.

“I don’t think if they are using protection and I a fear that they will spread sexually transmitted infections,” Gogo Muza said.

In many areas of Chitungwiza, selling of water has become a lucrative business.

A 20-litre bucket of water is sold for anything between ZWL 5 and 10.
In an interview with Chido Chigaro, whose name we have altered to protect her true identity, she said she cannot afford to buy water everyday thus she had to use what God gave her to get the water.

“I don’t go to work and I have kids that need water, even for my household chores I need water. I offer my body for the water and I will bath after rather than kill my kids with thirst and cholera,” Chigaro said.

Most residents blame Chitungwiza Municipality for the chaos and desperation caused by poor service delivery. Nhau/Indaba