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Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri

Prosper Ndlovu Business Editor
THE government has approved the National Water Policy (2013) that provides a guideline on management and development of water resources. The new policy is expected to tackle access challenges to safe drinking water and enhance improved provision of sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.

It also provides for the establishment of a new regulatory authority that will monitor all water supply and sanitation services, including overseeing the licensing of water service providers.

Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the new policy comes at a time when the country was facing problems in the provision quality sanitation services in both rural and urban areas.

Zimbabwe has not been spared of deaths resulting from sanitation and hygiene related epidemics, which continue to recur.

Between 2008 to 2009 a cholera outbreak claimed over 4,000 lives and it still haunts the country today, said the minister.

She said the new policy has been approved to address such challenges and ensure Zimbabweans enjoy quality service delivery and improved health standards.

“The policy has introduced a number of measures that allow for optimal and sustainable use of water,” the minister said while addressing a water, sanitation hygiene and energy expo in Bulawayo yesterday.

“The policy also stresses the importance of community participation and ownership of WASH infrastructure, the role of the private sector in WASH and the need for a WASH regulatory authority.”

She said the process of setting up of the new authority was being finalised.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri bemoaned the high levels of pollution of urban drinking water sources and called for strict enforcement of set regulations to protect citizens.

“The government is seriously working on re-alignment of laws in line with the constitution of Zimbabwe and it’s my strong belief that this process will facilitate sustained measures to mitigate pollution in general and water pollution in particular,” she said.

Zimbabwe had not developed a comprehensive water policy since attainment of independence in 1980.

The minister said improving WASH services was in line with recommendations of the August 2015 World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, which revealed numerous development opportunities in the country on these areas.

She said success in the provision of these services would lay a strong foundation for sustainable economic growth.

Surveys indicate that more than one billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water, which causes deaths, mainly of children under the age of five due to diarrhoeal diseases.