THE bloodsuckers have landed in Bulawayo, and residents of Mpopoma’s Ward Nine are scratching, spraying and suffering as bed bugs turn their lives into crawling and itching nightmare.
After months of laughing at Harare’s viral memes of people battling bed bug infestations, reality has struck Bulawayo.
The biting beasts are now sinking their fangs into residents of Block 46 and the flats behind Patapata Beer Garden, leaving a trail of itchy bodies, sleepless nights and rising frustration.When a Chronicle news crew visited the area, a woman from Block 46, with face, neck and hands covered in red welts,
was scratching furiously as she relived her agony.These bugs have turned our lives into a nightmare,” she said. “We haven’t had a peaceful night in weeks. They bite my kids too. We’ve tried everything. Nothing works.”
The bites are bad. The embarrassment is worse. Some residents say the shame is keeping them silent.
“This is hard to talk about,” said Miss Siphiwe Moyo, another victim. “People will laugh at you. But we are suffering.
We are tired. We can’t sleep at all. These bugs are winning.”Residents said they’ve alerted the Bulawayo City Council, only to be told to pay US$47 per household for fumigation which many said they cannot afford.
“That amount is simply out of reach for most of our elderly residents,” said Ward 9 residents’ chairperson, Mr Stanslous DubeThe infestation is real. Block 46 and the flats near Patapata are the worst-hit. People are begging for help.”
Ward Secretary for Environment, Mr Dumisani Moyo, added: “This problem is spreading, and many are too ashamed to report it. We’re appealing to Government to intervene.”
Ward Councillor Donaldson Mabutho promised to visit the affected areas. Bulawayo Mayor Clr David Coltart said he had not received a report on the bed bugs infestation.
