In a shocking scenario that best reflects the extent to which the worsening water crisis is bedeviling Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo, two legislators from the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa were yesterday embroiled in a harsh exchange of words over delivery of 20 litres of water.

The fight between Mpopoma-Pelandaba MP Charles Moyo and his Bulawayo Central counterpart Nicole Watson occurred on a group chat on WhatsApp after the latter had delivered 20 litres of water to her domestic water in a constituency under the jurisdiction of the former.

Watson’s domestic worker stays in Mpopoma which, like the rest of the western suburbs, is experiencing acute water shortages after the MDC Alliance-controlled local authority revealed that it would only be able to supply water to the areas at the end of August following theft of copper cables and technical faults.

Moyo, who initially did not know that Watson had only delivered 20 litres of water to her domestic worker in Mpopoma, blasted Watson for supplying water to his constituency without his knowledge as the serving MP of the area.

He described Watson as ‘out of order and disrespectful’.

“Hon Nikky must know her boundary how can she ferry amanzi (water) to Mpopoma without my knowhow (sic), do you want to be seen as a hardworking Hon in Mpopoma-Pelandaba,” Moyo complained.

“How do you come into the Mpopoma-Pelandaba matrix. You are out of order and disrespectful,” he charged.

Although Watson tried to reason with Moyo, telling him that she was only responding to the needs of her employee, the Mpopoma-Pelandaba legislator said:

“Don’t tell me about your maid”.

Fed up, the Bulawayo Central parliamentarian could have none of her colleague’s social media jabs.
“(My domestic worker) is lucky she has me and you should be aware of issues,” Watson hit back.

Presently, the second city is faced with a water crisis which has seen council imposing a 144-hour water shedding programme to manage the dwindling water levels at Bulawayo’s six supply dams which include Insiza, Mtshabezi, Mzingwane, Inyankuni, lower and Upper Ncema dams.

The supply dams’ water levels are said to have dropped to 25 percent and the water crisis facing the city is expected to further deteriorate
When contacted for comment, Moyo who conceded the tiff, said the fight was ‘no news’ and praised Watson for responding to the needs of her domestic worker.

“The issue here is that there is a water crisis which forced Watson to deliver water to her maid. There is no news here, maybe the news is that she brought the water to her worker because of the water crisis. But otherwise there is no issue,” Moyo told the state media.

“The issue here is that there is a water crisis which forced Watson to deliver water to her maid. There is no news here, maybe the news is that she brought the water to her worker because of the water crisis. But otherwise there is no issue,” he said.

Moyo however acknowledged that there was a ‘misunderstanding over the issue’.

On the other hand, Watson was also quoted as saying that the Mpopoma-Pelandaba legislator misunderstood her.

“He didn’t understand, ask him (why he sent those messages) and I was in a hurry when I was doing (sending) the messages. But most of the times, I’m always misinterpreted because I speak factually and bluntly. I delivered water for my maid. It was 20 litres and a few buckets,” she said.

The feuding pair has been roundly castigated for lacking leadership qualities.

state media
Additional Reporting: Zwnews