Despite the landscape of Malawi regularly featuring expansive lakes, the country is still facing severe water shortages with taps regularly running dry. Currently, experts are blaming this imbalance – between water reserves and availability – on a governmental failure to either effectively manage the supply or to put sufficient time and energy into the enterprise.
Unrest Across Africa
Malawi is not the only African country presently being criticised for lethargic or counterproductive governmental decisions. South Africa’s government has been under fire in recent months due to its hypocritical, conservative and detrimental handling of the legalisation of online gambling. South Africa has become a leader within the production of online s and mobile s in the 21st Century. These websites, with www.gamblingafrica.com being a prime example, bring in huge revenues each year into the country’s economy. A revenue, and ecomonic contribution, that could be further increased by allowing these websites access to the domestic market. This access could potentially lead to more jobs within the sector and for South African workers. Yet the South African government has been reluctant to legalise the use of online s, whilst being at the centre of controversies involving its own minsters wasting tax-payers’ money on extravagant trips abroad. Therefore, Malawi is not alone in feeling ill-served by its government
Risk of Diseases
The main issue of Malawi being unable to provide its citizens with tap water is that this shortage forces people to obtain water from unfiltered and questionable sources. The water from these untested wells and rivers often carry diseases and, due to the cramped living conditions within Malawi, could lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases. Furthermore, the lack of water has meant that several hospitals, including Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyrehave had to suspend surgical operations due to an inability to sufficiently maintain hygiene standards. Considering the water shortage’s constriction of the health service in Blantyre, it is unsurprising that consumer association CAMA has staged several protests against the Blantyre Water Boardover the past few weeks.
A Multitude of Issues
The risk to Malawians from the water shortage is not just limited to the risks of drinking unclean water. George Chaima, an expert on water sanitation, has voiced concerns that, apart from the obvious health risks, a lack of tap water facilitates other threats. One of these risks is the threat of women being raped when they opt to bathe within a river due to it being too tiring to transport the water back home. Chaima warns that youths have been witnessed hiding within the vicinity of bathing areas, waiting to ambush vulnerable woman. This is yet another disturbing dimension to an already horrible situation caused by a lack of clean water in Malawi.
