By Flata Kavinga
Silobela businessman Ellioti Dube has raised serious concern over deteriorating sanitary and environmental conditions at Crossroads Business Centre, accusing the Zibagwe Rural District Council (ZRDC) of failing to address long-standing public health risks.
Speaking during the ZRDC Strategic Plan Workshop held in Kwekwe, Dube said residents and business operators at Crossroads were living in what he described as “unhealthy and unsafe conditions,” with no public toilets, no clean water supply and increasing waste pollution.
“I want to share with you what we come across at Crossroads in Silobela. We live in unhealthy conditions,” he said. “This rainy season, the conditions will worsen. We literally live among goats and pigs. There is no public toilet at the business centre.”
Dube said despite raising the matter with local councillors, including Collet Sibanda, Madhambi and Deetlefs Jason, no action had been taken.
“Pampers are all over Crossroads. Imagine, at the age of 69, I remove pampers and throw them away,” he said. “I don’t know why the council is not taking any action as we raised this issue long ago.”
He added that the situation had become more dire due to the absence of a functional water supply.
“We do not have water supply at Crossroads. Water is not there,” he said. “I am very, very surprised. I hear that council is pegging stands at Crossroads in the midst of these unhealthy conditions.”
Dube also recalled an incident in which a newborn baby was dumped in a local water source, saying the lack of sanitation and water infrastructure posed severe health hazards for the community.
He further criticised the council for continuing to allocate residential and business stands without first providing essential services.
“You are pegging new stands and not considering the provision of public toilets,” he said. “Don’t forget that we have an influx of illegal gold miners who stay at Crossroads. I think we are over 800 000 at Crossroads at the moment. We have no toilet. That issue must be addressed.”
Dube, who said he worked for Zibagwe since 1977, claimed the local authority had failed to make meaningful progress at Crossroads over several decades.
“Since I have been in this office, they have never, never achieved anything positive at Crossroads,” he said.
He also raised concern over the absence of a designated cemetery in the area.
“The other issue is that there is no graveyard at Crossroads. Those who die, where are they going to be buried? There is no cemetery,” he said.
ZRDC officials at the workshop noted the concerns but had not yet issued an official response at the time of writing.
