By Nobleman Runyanga

In view of the worsening water situation in Harare following the failure of the MDC-led Harare City Council (HCC) to supply adequate water, Treasury has intervened with a Z$37.4 million bailout package, the Harare Post has learnt.

HCC continues to face an array of challenges to have water shortage resolved, this has led Government to intervene, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube said this in a statement today, “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.”

“To ameliorate the situation, Central Government has...intervened by releasing Z$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,” said the Minister.

The bailout package will cover areas such as water production, water distribution, waste water collection, and sewer treatment.

The initiative marks the beginning of a Government long term programme to attend to the concerns and anxieties of the long-suffering Harare residents following nearly two decades of bungling by the successive MDC councils which has seen the once beautiful capital city being reduced to a water-borne diseases sitting duck owing to poor service delivery.

“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,” said Minister Ncube.