By Ngoni Shumba.
MUTARE, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) – Destiny of Afrika Network (DANet) are is pondering innovative ways to neutralise the risk two yawning deep water-filled quarry pits in its Mountain Rise suburb in Chikanga pose.
Better still, the Obadiah Musindo founded private social housing land developer which adopted the responsibility from Mutare City Council when it bought the area is hoping to transform the water bodies into a recreational facility and a fishery.
DANet Manicaland Projects Chairperson Wilson Masokovere told journalists in a tour of the area that although they had to fence off the pits they were working on plans to transform the feared pits into a leisure centre of choice.
“We have plans to transform this into a recreational centre. There is already fishing taking place in one of the pools and we also hope to develop that further,” Masokovere said.
Impossible to fill up again the pits have been council’s to manage with prudence – which task has been ceded to Musindo’s organisation.
Without the current fencing the pits were increasingly becoming a danger with a growing population around them.
But they still relatively are.
And until DANet completes its project to completely transmute the twin pools into a centre people can part their money with to enjoy many residents still shrike at the thought of them.
Visiting the pits for the first time as DANet dug up water and sewage pipe trenches the locals’ fear of the pits was almost tangible, a few years ago.
Enquiring for directions to two deep water-filled quarry dams from men digging trenches in Chikanga’s high density suburb they were curious to know if this reporter had informed relatives of his sojourn.
“He is not coming back!” retorted another from just within earshot.
Throwing themselves in the giant pools was apparently the medium of choice for those who wanted to take their lives.
“Hardly a year would pass without someone taking their lives by throwing themselves in the pools,” Talent Jimu a local resident said.
There have been no such suicides for over three years now as the new suburb flourishes, Jimu said.
The pools’ us as a location for all manner of traditional and religious rites has also come to a stop after DANet fenced it off but the enduring belief that they are home to mermaids still have some superstitious locals in awe.
The civilising effect of human settlement is however also helping demystify the pools and making them safer while the impending constructions to make play centres will make the two monster holes I the eastern border city completely tame.
This will however not be the first time the organisation is shouldering the local authority’s responsibilities.
It was recently forced to incur extra costs of sinking boreholes and set up 50 000 litre water tanks in its Dora Plot to facilitate settlements of over 1 200 people after council refused to connect water to the main pipelines arguing that it did not have sufficient supplies.
The City’s mayor Tatenda Nhamarare recently also conceded that his council had benefited over $5 million worth of infrastructural support.
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