adminMDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube had torched a storm during his meeting with civic society leaders in Bulawayo last week on Thursday.
Prof Ncube told the gathering that Minister Nkomo presented a report in Cabinet to the effect that about 30 additional boreholes had been rehabilitated in Nyamandlovu Aquifer in a bid to ease the city’s water problems.
However, in a letter written through his lawyers R Ndlovu and Company Legal Practitioners yesterday, Minister Nkomo distanced himself from the issue and said the accusations levelled against him were based on falsehoods.
“Our client’s brief to Cabinet was never about the Bulawayo water situation but was an update as regards to the $50 million DFID funded rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) project. You may also verify this with Cabinet minutes,” read the letter.
“The Nyamandlovu rehabilitation project is a different project from the rural WASH project. For the avoidance of any doubt and further perpetuation of falsehoods, the Nyamandlovu project is at procurement stage.”
The information presented by Prof Ncube infuriated the participants who lashed out at Minister Nkomo and complained over the Government’s failure to bring a lasting solution to Bulawayo’s perennial water shortages.
Minister Nkomo said the WASH programme was meant to improve by 50 percent access to water by the rural communities who constitute 70 percent of the country’s population.
He said the drilling of boreholes was already taking place in Bulilima and Mangwe Districts.
“To date 28 borehole sites have had geophysical investigations done and 12 have been drilled. Fitting will commence as soon as materials start coming through. A second drilling contract for another 200 boreholes is under preparation,” said the Minister.
The WASH programme was introduced following concerns that 48 percent of people living in rural areas practiced open defecation, which resulted in high disease outbreaks and mortality due to WASH related diseases especially diarrhoea.
The programme involves drilling of new boreholes and rehabilitation of existing ones at schools and in communities.
The Government, Unicef and DFID make up the advisory committee to the project.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo