Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]
A LOCAL Non-Governmental organisation has commended Parliament for coming to Bulawayo on a fact finding mission about the city’s water crisis, saying it creates a launch pad for lobbying central Government to release more resources towards addressing the perennial crisis.
The Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and Sustainable Development Goals Parliamentary Portfolio Committees arrived in Bulawayo on Monday on a three-day fact finding mission to the city’s water crisis.
They have engaged the city’s management, councillors and on Tuesday visited some of the city’s water bodies where they received first hand information on challenges affecting the city’s bulk water delivery system.
The city’s dams are 28 percent full with Upper Ncema expected to be decommissioned soon.
The council requires at least US$14 million to address the water crisis and reduce water shedding which has seen residents receiving water twice a week.
Silveira House, a Jesult Social Justice and Development Centre, partnering Parliament of Zimbabwe on governance issue commended the exchange between legislators and city fathers saying the sharing of ideas is key ro addressing the water challenges.
Silveria House programmes director Dr Alois Madhekeni said the prevailing crisis requires extensive lobbying from different arms of Government.
“This activity has been very important to us as an organisation, to the people of Zimbabwe and the people of Bulawayo, we are in a crisis situation as a country as we battle the El Nino induced climate change phenomenon. This is an issue that demands not only the local authority to attend to but also the national Government, said Dr Madhekeni.
“We really appreciate the two institutions coming together to work on solutions as far as the water crisis is concerned. As a church institution we are concerned with this issue as it affects basic humans rights like the right to access to water and sanitation which I believe with the coming of Parliament, playing the oversight on the local authorities will be good for lobbying to the executive to release more funds and also prioritise the situation here in Bulawayo.”
He also said there might need for central Government to address the issue of gold panners who are destroying river beds, affecting the water flow and in turn affecting water supplies to the city.
-@nqotshili
Online Reporter