Tinaye Agere
Malven Mugadzikwa
THE Government is ready to work with the private sector to ensure that everyone has access to clean and safe water.
This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka in speech read on his behalf on Tuesday by Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos at the official opening of the ongoing 2024 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Joint Sector Review (JSR) conference in Bulawayo on Tuesday.
The conference is running under the theme “Climate resilient WASH: A call to action for universal and sustainable WASH services”.
“The conference comes at a time when our collective efforts successfully combated the spread of cholera.
“While we mourn the loss of our beloved ones to this disease, we take pride in our achievements in halting its further spread and saving countless lives,” he said.
The sector, Dr Masuka said, has to strengthen infection prevention and control WASH services delivery.
“It is my sincere hope that the 2024 JSR edition will proffer practical and actionable measures to arrest sector decline and ensure health security for Zimbabweans.”
He further emphasised that the WASH sector must ensure economic transformation of rural communities, empowering them to participate actively in the national economy.
He also thanked the private sector for supporting the Government in implementing WASH programmes.
“I am glad to recognise the support we are receiving from development partners in WASH in the development of solar-piped water schemes.
“Their collaboration is key in advancing our WASH agenda.
“I call upon the business community to partner the WASH sector in services development, operations and maintenance and in the transformation drive of our communities,” he said.
Dr Masuka said the WASH sector now has an approved national sanitation and hygiene policy.
“The policy will provide essential guidance for our development interventions and help ensure that we are on the right track towards achieving safely managed sanitation and hygiene, including the elimination of open defecation,” he said.
Online Reporter