Blantyre Water Board given 7-day ultimatum to restore water

Tired of poor services, empty promises and persistent water woes, Bangwe residents in Malawi’s commercial capital Blantyre, have given Blantyre Water Board (BWB) a seven-day ultimatum to restore continuous supply of clean water or face mass demonstrations.

Kapito: Join the protest
Kapito: Join the protest

Early this year, BWB assured its customers that the problem would come to an end following the rehabilitation of its Nkula pumping facility and the construction of the new reservoirs at Soche and Chigumula in January, but nothing has changed, the sitaution is getting worse.

The Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) has since asked other communities in the central business district to join Bangwe residents in demanding their rights, warning that failure to do so would result in BWB taking the residents for granted.

Other affected areas include Nkolokosa, Chilobwe, Zingwangwa, Soche East, Manja, Nancholi, Manase, Ndirande, Chilomoni and Chimwankhunda.

The residents are also bitter because BWB still squeeze them with water bills despite having no water for months now.

At the moment, people in the commercial city are fetching water from swamps and other protected water sources.

“Am failing to understand why Malawi is struggling with problem.  They promised that it (problem) would be a thing of past, but the situation is getting worse.

“Do these people really know when they say water is life? They are taking us for granted; it high we took them to task for failing to provide us with water,” said Stort Chirwa, a resident of Zingwangwa .

One of the Chigumula residents, Yotamu Ndovi said if the Board fails to supply the area with, it should remove its meters in the area.

“BWB’s slogan is ‘Water is Life’. We, therefore, wonder we are being denied this life,” said Ndovi.

Cama Executive Director John Kapito, who early this year called for mass demonstrations against BWB over water woes, has welcomed Bangwe’s residents move, calling others communities to join them if they are to start getting continuous water supply in their areas.

Kapito observed that is it high time consumers started demanding their rights and taking to task all duty bearers who are not performing to people’s expectations.

BWB spokesperson, Priscilla Mateyu was not readily available for comment.

But Bangwe and Chigumula residents are this week expected to petition the Board over the problem.

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Kenneth
Kenneth
8 years ago

Zanyanya pano kuno mwez ukutha madz otsatuluka koma bl yabwera mwez uno nd yabwr

jmase
jmase
8 years ago

Ndizakwiya kwambiri ndikazamva mabwana akumeneko you have renewed their contracts. You are letting down this country. OPC and Deprtment of Statutory Cooperations do your job properly when it comes to renew of contracts. Ukumva iwe Chikhosi paja nawenso ntchito kusolora za ma parastatals agalu amaenewa atitopetsa

Stout
Stout
8 years ago

Why cant BWB manage the distribution of what there is, better? Why do the ‘richer’ areas appear to have most of the supply? It is the poorer people that bear the brunt of this problem. If water was withheld from the affluent suburbs I think the problems might be fixed quicker. However accepting that there are problems all I ask is an equal share for all consumers. Lets have some ‘Flow sheding’ across all sectors. If I have received 10 units since August last year I would be surprised.

Jimbo
Jimbo
8 years ago

Isn’t it time that APM became involved in this disgraceful situation? Why does APM just sit on his hands instead of sorting out this critical problem that faces so many of his people? Matters such as this should be a priority for a government that promised to move Malawi forward. The President should be thoroughly ashamed that such a problem as water shortage even exists. Everyone in the country should be demonstrating against the government which is doing nothing to provide such a basic need as water. The BWB is clearly not fit for purpose and should be in the… Read more »

Phodogoma
Phodogoma
8 years ago

Thanks to Bangwe residences for your ultimetum to BWB because here in Chilobwe my wife managed to get water at 12 mid night. To us getting water at night was better than not getting no water at all. Palibe vuto ngakhale munating’ambira bulangete, nditamuimbira nyimbo ya nalero nalero nalero. Bravo Bangwe. Bravo JK. Bravo BWB.Nanga nditani. Kumvetsana mkufunika.

chinkombaleza gumanyundo gowa
chinkombaleza gumanyundo gowa
8 years ago

Water board please get alternative solution that you can use in absence of Escom power. such a big organisation failing to supply water using generators. Is ESCOM a scapegoat or what?

koma abale
koma abale
8 years ago

Akapito tamangobulumunyani masikonowo. Izi tisiyileni tiona ma plan ake.

nana
nana
8 years ago

A kapito musatinyanse.

mbuyun
mbuyun
8 years ago

It’s really something requiring collective actions. People working in CHAM hospitals did the same, it worked. Parliament,judicial etc. Do you remember chanco during the late prof BWM.I don’t remember who was the minister of education then. Certain leaders keep blind eyes on certain things waiting for actions like the one in subject.Who doesn’t know from present to a prisoner that blantyre in certain areas people are denied of life. By the way , what is the meaning of water is life? There are several government departments, ministries that are equally doing the same except that there no people to give… Read more »

man to mam
man to mam
8 years ago

Samukani nanunso mmene munayambira kulira muja bwerani ku mzuzu

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