President’s borehole scheme, a lifesaver for Harare

Fatima Bulla-Musakwa and Lissa Matasi

THE City of Harare has for decades been grappling with delivering clean water to a large number of its residents and those in dormitory towns.

In several areas of Harare like Zimre Park, Greendale, Chadcombe, Mainway Meadows, Greencroft, Mabelreign and Waterfalls, residents had even stopped relying on municipal water, whose supply was erratic.

However, the water supply situation is slowly being transformed following the launch of President Mnangagwa’s Presidential Borehole Scheme.  Under the scheme, thousands of boreholes have been drilled countrywide.

While the programme targets to drill 35 000 boreholes in villages across the country, urban areas are also benefitting from the initiative. Hundreds of boreholes have been drilled in several parts of the capital so far.

Last week alone, Prevail International Group, the company contracted for the initiative, drilled boreholes in Glen View, Warren Park, Dzivaresekwa and Chitungwiza.

Ms Nyashadzashe Muchenje, who lives on 77th Crescent in Glen View 3 — where three boreholes were commissioned, said the scheme was a huge relief as water woes were posing a perennial health risk to the community.

“I have young children and I constantly needed water, but it was a challenge. I always feared that my children would end up getting cholera or typhoid.

“The boreholes have brought the much-needed relief. We are able to get enough water for domestic use without having to worry about rationing,” she said.

In Glen View alone, boreholes commissioned under the Presidential scheme are located at various places — including the intersection of Willowvale Road and 90th Crescent and near the Glen View 8 traffic lights, where Willowvale Road and Glen View Way intersect.

Boreholes have also been drilled in Kambuzuma and Epworth, while there are 10 in Mbare, four each in St Mary’s and Zengeza, while Support Unit has two.

For Kambuzuma residents, the drilling of a borehole that serves wards 5 and 14 marked an end to long hours of queueing for water.

A resident from the area, Ms Chengeto Midzi, said it had become the norm to spend the better part of the day searching for water, leaving little time for other undertakings.

“The water problem was taking most of our time so much that we would lose out on partaking in other activities to raise income.

“I am a vendor and I was losing out on precious time. But now, the borehole is closer home. What is impressive is that the borehole comes with a solar-powered system and four taps so that four people can draw water at the same time,” she said.

Prevail International Group managing director Mr Paul Tempter Tungwarara said they are working ahead of schedule in drilling the boreholes.

“We initially target to install just over 1 000 boreholes in rural areas and about 100 in Harare by the end of August but we have surpassed this.

“We are moving with speed to achieve the 35 000 target for all rural villages and also stepping up the pace for Harare,” he said.

The introduction of the scheme in March last year by President Mnangagwa came as a stitch in time, relieving people, particularly women, from walking long distances to get the precious liquid.

Before this, residents were resorting to digging shallow but unsafe wells, contributing to an outbreak of water-borne diseases.

Others were now in the habit of buying water from neighbours or water barons or waking up in the wee hours to queue at community boreholes.

This exposed residents, mostly women, to all forms of abuse and exploitation.

ZANU PF’s Harare Province Secretary for Finance Mr Martin Mambo said the boreholes programme has not only assisted ZANU PF supporters but also everyone, regardless of political affiliation.

“Under the Second Republic, through the National Development Strategy 1, health and well-being have been adopted as a national priority, hence this Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme was launched by His Excellency President Mnangagwa to ensure that water, which is a basic human right, is available to every community member.

“The programme is running throughout the country, with much appreciation from the citizens,” Mr Mambo, who is also a Glen View resident, said.

Currently, 38 solar-powered boreholes have been sunk while six have been commissioned in Glen View since the initiative was piloted.

A Kambuzuma resident, Mr Nyasha Zenda, said: “As you know, water is life, so the residents of Kambuzuma are happy. We are pleased that President Mnangagwa is implementing his vision of leaving no one and no place behind.”