President Emmerson Mnangagwa has told Bulawayo residents that the central government has solutions to the city’s perennial water challenges.
He made the remarks while officiating at the 3rd anniversary of the national clean-up campaign in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city. Said the president:
I want to assure you as people of Bulawayo that my government has a solution to your water challenges and we have enough resources to finance the water project and as I speak, we are in the process of subcontracting local companies to start trenching the pipeline from the Gwayi-Shangani Lake to Bulawayo to close that chapter of waters and look at other developmental projects.
He also challenged local authorities to provide standard services to their communities, reiterating that the Second Republic will continue to provide resources under the devolution programme. Mnangagwa added:
Development is no longer decided from Harare but the new dispensation through devolution funds now allows communities to pinpoint priority areas for development and directs local authorities on what projects to undertake. In the 2022 budget, at least 4.5 billion dollars is available to local authorities.
He further urged citizens to double their efforts in maintaining a clean environment as Zimbabwe aims to become the cleanest country in Africa.
The President was part of the clean-up programme at Madamara Business Centre.
Local authorities across the country have for decades been failing to provide required public goods and services citing a lack of resources.
Bulawayo is currently battling to contain a diarrhoea outbreak recorded a few days ago. It is attributed to contaminated water the local authority is pumping to residents.
Bulawayo has been rationing water for months now, an arrangement that has seen suburbs going for days without water.
More: ZBC News