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By Staff Reporter
Cabinet received and adopted proposals to address water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues in Zimbabwe, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said yesterday while delivering the 36th Post Cabinet briefing.
As part of ongoing efforts to provide basic water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to all segments of the population, 66% of households have now been covered against the National Development Strategy 1 target of 90% coverage.
According to Minister Mutsvangwa, a snap survey was recently undertaken across the provinces to ascertain the country’s WASH status.
“The survey assessed the following WASH aspects: water availability and accessibility; sanitation; waste management; hygiene; existing WASH governance structure; and infrastructure,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
To date, the Department of WASH Coordination under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Development has made significant progress towards meeting the following targets: provision of 35 000 boreholes to 35 000 villages, 9 600 boreholes to 9 600 schools and 3 600 boreholes in each ward for youths.
She added that there was already a Rural Information Centre on WASH issues with details of water, toilets and hygiene issues for each village.
Minister Mutsvangwa further stated that to address the deficiencies identified in the various areas surveyed, Cabinet adopted a plethora of actions to be taken.
“National WASH issues will henceforth be included as a specific task under the Enhanced Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management (ECEPDM) chaired by the Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, in order to accelerate the implementation of WASH programmes.
“The Committee will look at urban WASH issues to accelerate investments in this area as well as having oversight over WASH programmes in rural areas, whose implementation will remain under the entities currently responsible.
“The expansion, rehabilitation and maintenance of National WASH infrastructure will be recapitalized and resourced, starting with allocations in the 2022 National Budget.”
The action course is also aimed at ensuring that there is WASH-sensitive Spatial Development and Human Settlements in adherence to existing statutes, such as the Regional Town and Country Planning Act, in order to promote the sustainable provision and maintenance of WASH infrastructure.
“Legislation will be put in place to criminalise the indiscriminate littering common in most urban centres, with deterrent penalties set to be imposed on litterbugs,” she concluded.