Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is expected to officiate at the National Borehole Drilling Programme launch next week Wednesday in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South Province.
The country is targeting drilling up to 35 000 boreholes across provinces, which will be equipped with solar systems to anchor the Presidential Rural Horticulture Transformation Plan.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has already drilled and equipped a model pilot solar powered borehole in Jinjika Village to supply water to the nutritional garden, fish ponds, dip tanks and potable water to village.
Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Abednico Ncube confirmed President Mnangagwa’s planned visit during a recent Provincial Development Committee (PDC) meeting in Gwanda where he urged all stakehodlers to play their part to ensure the programme was a success.
“These developmental projects are not for me or for Zanu-PF. They’re for the benefit of all the people. Let’s be united and have a team spirit towards this programme for the good of our province,” said the minister.
Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said they were also preparing for the programme hence the authority intends to drill 35 000 boreholes across the country by 2025.
“The 35 000 boreholes will mean that each of the 35 000 villages in Zimbabwe will get a borehole. The boreholes are expected to anchor the Presidential Rural Horticulture Scheme by providing water for horticulture and related projects such as fisheries at village level,” she said.
“The boreholes will also provide drinking water for the communities and ultimately reduce the distances that rural communities travel to get water.”
Mrs Munyonga said Zinwa has started taking delivery of borehole drilling rigs, which will be used in the launch programme.
The borehole drilling programme is in line with the country’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which charts policies, institutional reforms and national priorities needed between 2021 and 2025 to attain an upper middle-income economy under Vision 2030.–@Yolisswa
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