By Rutendo Jiri
Government has successfully drilled more boreholes to address acute water shortages bedeviling most parts of the country, a cabinet official has.
Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, the Minister of Defense and War Veterans Affairs, also Chairperson of the Ad-Hoc Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the COVID-19 pandemic, yesterday told Cabinet that, since the outbreak of the pandemic, Government had made milestone achievements in the provision of clean water nationwide.
“A total of 85 new boreholes were drilled, while 123 others were rehabilitated by Government and partners during the reporting period. This brings the total number or drilled and rehabilitated boreholes to 4 580 since the beginning of the campaign against COVID-19,” she said.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri revealed to Cabinet that Government has started to receive water purification equipment from Germany which is expected to minimize the country’s water woes.
“Furthermore, water purification equipment, valued at US$9,3 million, purchased from Germany by Government has started arriving in the country and is expected to significantly boast the pumping capacity and water pressure at several Harare pump stations, including Alexandra Park, Letombo and Waterfalls,” she said.
Over the past years Harare has been facing acute water shortages with some suburbs like Mabelreign and Belvedere going without water for months.
Bulawayo and Chitungwiza have also experienced the same predicament which residents have attributed to consecutive droughts compounded with maladministration and corruption by MDC Alliance city fathers in charge of most urban councils in the country.
“Without naming any names, I am convinced that the beginning of the water crisis in most urban councils is directly linked to the rot in the MDC Alliance whose leaders are bent on self-enrichment at the expense of quality service delivery,” said Tinotenda Shumba, a resident from Chitungwiza.
The drilling of more than 5000 boreholes by the ZANU PF led Government is expected to alleviate water challenges and ensure citizens access safe clean water thereby meeting the sustainable development goals related to health and access to clean water, building towards President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision2030.
