Harare, (New Ziana)-The government on Thursday released ZWL$37.4 million to the City of Harare as a short-term intervention to improve water supply to residents whose health is under threat from prolonged periods without the precious liquid both for drinking and other domestic uses.

In a statement, Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube said the government was aware of challenges the City of Harare was facing with regards to water and waste management.

“The City of Harare is facing a number of challenges which have resulted in failure to resolve the water and sanitation under-provision within the City. This has contributed to the decline in the health status of residents.

“The challenges include absence of a billing system, and hence, poor collection rates as well as reduced capacity to implement programmes that enhance service delivery,” he said.

Prof Ncube added: “To ameliorate the situation, central government has now intervened by releasing ZWL$37.4 million from Treasury including foreign currency, towards interventions that will seek to improve water access and waste water treatment in the short term.”

He said the government would also find long term solutions for Harare’s water and sanitation challenges.

“Furthermore, central government is also developing a long term solution for the water and sanitation challenges facing the residents of Harare. This will include putting in place an implementation team comprising of Government, City of Harare, and other experts,” he said.

In 2018 the country battled a cholera outbreak which originated in Harare due to poor water and sanitation facilities in the capital, which saw 49 people dying from what has contemptuously been termed a medieval disease.
New Ziana