Masvingo City is grappling with an unusual yet serious sewage challenge as used condoms are topping the list of items causing grit buildup and repeated sewer blockages while also crippling the city’s aging infrastructure.
Masvingo City
Mayor and ward 4 councilor Alec Tabe made the startling revelation during a
press conference held at the town house where he was presenting on the state of
affairs of the city on May 8, 2025 and detailed how improper disposal of used
condoms was causing a headache for the local authority.
“We’ve remove
several bins worth of used condoms from our sewer system, which cause
significant clogging and blockages. It’s unacceptable that people are disposing
of these items in a way that’s putting unnecessary strain on our
infrastructure. We urge residents to please dispose of condoms and other
non-biodegradable items responsibly,” said Tabe.
He went on to
say the high volume of grit was causing wear and tear on mechanical equipment
at the raw sewage pump stations.
“Most of the
mechanical equipment wears faster because of the high volumes of grit getting
to the raw sewage pump stations. We continue to consistently swab the main
sewer lines to reduce the volume of grit reaching the pump stations. We have
budgeted to buy two new pumps in the year 2025,” said Tabe.
Speaking to
TellZim News after the presser, Tabe said the situation was bad such that 5 to
6 bins of grit consisting mostly of used condoms were collected per week on
average. He however said the city had an average 360 sewer blockage every
month.
“The state of
our sewage reticulation is fair with an average of 360 sewer blockages being
attended to every month by the two maintenance teams that service the city.
About 95 percent of the reported sewer complaints are addressed within a period
of 24 hours,” said Tabe.
On the stalled
Mucheke Trunk Sewer project, Tabe said construction was still at 76 percent
with progress depending on the release of devolution funds from central
government to finish the long delayed upgrade. TellZimNews
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