HARARE - Negligence by Chitungwiza Municipality nearly cost the life of a child.

Six-year-old Abigail Lynn Chiyangwa is lucky to be alive after nearly drowning in a derelict council-dug sewage pond in Zengeza 1 suburb as she came from school.

The timely intervention of an elderly woman passer-by saved Lynn. The incident, which has raised a stink from residents in Zengeza, who are also fearing both a recurrence of the deadly cholera outbreak and drowning of their children in sewage ponds dug by council, occurred two weeks ago.

The girl was in the company of a classmate when she slipped and fell headlong into the pond full of raw sewage.

Luckily, an elderly woman who preferred to be called Mbuya Musauki, rescued the little girl, whose head was now bobbing in the pond, while her friend was in a state of shock.

According to Lynn’s father Noel Chiyangwa, who was at work at the time of the incident, council is paying a deaf ear to the problems.

“I went the following day after the case to see the town engineer and begged him to sort out this problem before other children drown but I am disappointed that up to now nothing has happened,” he said.

Town engineer Alfonse Tinofa confirmed the incident and claimed to be working “flat out” on the issue.
 
“It was an unfortunate incident. We have mobilised to clear the blockages. You can come and take pictures, I am at the site right now,” said Tinofa.