Bulawayo's trying out a corporate-style water authority after city officials checked out how Zambia runs its utilities and came back impressed. Ward 25 councillor Aleck Ndlovu said the plan is to set up a standalone entity that stays fully city-owned but operates more like a business to attract investors and fix the busted infrastructure. The move comes after decades of water shortages that have residents going without basic access while pipes keep bursting and pumps keep dying.
Mayor David Coltart already laid out that the city needs about $14.5 million just to patch up immediate problems with mains and equipment. The water utility model is supposed to help unlock funding without privatizing anything, and they're also looking at recycling industrial water like some Namibian cities do. The real fix everyone wants is the Gwayi-Shangani Dam getting finished by the central government.
Mayor David Coltart already laid out that the city needs about $14.5 million just to patch up immediate problems with mains and equipment. The water utility model is supposed to help unlock funding without privatizing anything, and they're also looking at recycling industrial water like some Namibian cities do. The real fix everyone wants is the Gwayi-Shangani Dam getting finished by the central government.
