Service lane toilets headache for Chinhoyi

Chinhoyi (Telegraph-New Ziana) – The widespread use of service lanes in Chinhoyi as toilets is posing a serious health threat to residents, and is also adversely affecting the operations of restaurants close to the lanes.

Restaurant owners are complaining that the unpleasant smell of human urine and faeces coming from the lanes that had been turned into toilets was driving away customers, and also feared the outbreak of diseases such as cholera.

“Takuvara nevanhu varikungoshandisa pese pese kuita matoilets. Mumikoto umu mweya unosimuka zvisingaite. Matoilets ariko asi vanhu vanongoda mikoto iyoyi,” said a worker at African Roots Restaurant.

A cook at Mai Machiri’s restaurant, which is behind ZETDC offices, said the practice of using service lanes as toilets was a health threat to them, and the foul smell put off customers.

“Yatove cholera padhuze, nzvimbo yacho yese kunobuda kubutchery uko itoilet dzevanhu vanoita tsvina neweti yavo imomo. Last week takatofushira tsvina chaiyo saka serestaurant inoshanda pakadaro vanhu zvinovakanganisa,” she said.

Chinhoyi Municipality has consistently urged people to desist from using the service lanes as toilets, but this seems to have fallen on deaf ears in the town.

“As council we do not condone people abusing sanitary lanes for toilets. We have public toilets which are in the CBD, and bus terminus, where residents and stakeholders can freely use. We urge the people to use these toilets properly and this promotes hygiene and prevents diseases,” said Mr. Tichawona Mlauzi, the council’s public relations officer.

Another cook at African Roots Restaurant said people relieving themselves in sanitary lanes should be arrested but the problem is that people run away when they are noticed.

“Vanhu ngavasungwe asi zvinonetsa nekuti tikaona munhu anotiza especially varume,” she said.

The restaurant has faced the challenge that even their customers who ask to use their toilet do not do so but end up using the walls to urinate.
African Roots Restaurant has however resorted to employing a guard who monitors the place to avoid the nuisance.

“Takazotsvaga guard to monitor pano kuti izvi zvisaitike zvatova nani,” said the employee.

Telegraph-New Ziana