Government targets permanent water solution

Harare (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe government will prioritise the construction of new water sources for the capital city Harare to deal with perennial shortages of the precious liquid, Cabinet resolved on Monday.

The capital city has been grappling with severe water shortages which have seen some suburbs going for weeks without the precious liquid, exposing them to serious health hazards.

Harare’s water demand stands at around 1 200 mega litres a day, but council was only able to provide 300 mega litres a day.

This has been attributed to drying up and pollution of the city’s water sources and the shortage of foreign currency to procure water treatment chemicals.

The water crisis in the capital worsened last week when the local authority shut off supplies for the whole city citing a lack of chemicals to treat the water.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said on top of funding availed by government last week to the city of Harare to deal with the water challenges; a cocktail of strategies will also be employed.

“The strategies will entail soliciting for investments into the city’s additional water supply sources, revamping of water and sewer reticulation systems, boosting the water treatment works and addressing the associated challenges,” she said.

“As a long term measure, government is to expedite implementation of the Kunzvi, Greater Harare and the Muda-Nyatsime water supply projects. Furthermore government is working on a more centralised arrangement for the local procurement and production of water treatment chemicals for all local authorities.”

Weighing in on the matter, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube said government would seek Public Private Partnerships for the water projects.

“That is the only way we can do it, so we have received a few proposals already. We have received proposals already for the financing of Kunzvi dam and also Muda and also Nyatsime,” he said.

To assist local authorities in the country to deal with water challenges, government also availed $72 million last week for use in various water related issues.
New Ziana