Chibhorani Talk
With Sekuru Taurai

I am on my way to the chibhorani to fetch some water. Water, water, water, who can survive without water? Not me, not any one else, hence why it is the most precious liquid in the whole world. I was talking to Sekuru Google the other day and he told me of the “rule of 3’’ which says a person can live for 3 minutes without oxygen, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. However somewhere it is said the longest someone is known to have lived without water was in the case of an 18 year old Austrian, Andreas Mihavez, who was left locked up in a police cell for 18 days in 1979 forgotten by the police.
Now in spite of the importance of water how many of us in Chibhoraniland know that 22 March is international World Water Day? It was first celebrated in 1993 after being put on the calendar by the United Nations with the intention of highlighting the importance of freshwater. The day encourages us to take action in tackling the global water crisis and to advocate for sustainable management of freshwater resources. Here we are talking of water that does not contain salt, like sea water iya inovava. This year’s World Water Day theme is; ‘’Water for Peace’’. Yes, wars have been waged to fight for water. In Africa Egypt and Ethiopia are currently at serious loggerheads over the waters of the Nile River. Here in Chibhoraniland water can be a source of conflict or peace. The other day at our own chibhorani I had to restrain two women who were fighting for a place in the water queue. I am sure most of you have witnessed similar squabbles and even fights at the chibhorani. In urban areas residents fight councils when they fail to provide tap water or increase its price. Yes, councils are failing to provide a continuous supply of the most precious liquid with residents going for days, weeks, months and even years without a single drop dropping from their taps. In rural areas, kuno kwedu kumachonyonyo, we can go for days without getting water from the chibhorani after a breakdown while some people have to walk long distances to get water from rivers and streams or unprotected wells. Yet water can be a source of peace when people converge at the community chibhorani to fetch water while talking and laughing in a communitarian and peaceful manner.
With 2.2 billion people, just over a quarter of the world population, failing to access safe water the situation is quite serious. Some of these are here in our own beautiful Chibhoraniland. We therefore need to be more serious in terms of water provision and utilise the numerous water bodies that are lying idle in Chibhoraniland, construct more water bodies, drill more zvibhorani while mitigating climate change by any means possible. A good question is; are we going to have tap water in every home by 2030? Kumgobvunzawo kwaSekuru Taurai vanotaurisa.