Unicef extends aid on water treatment chemicals

Government said yesterday.
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo and his Water Resources Development and Management counterpart Samuel Sipepa Nkomo announced this in a joint statement in Harare.
Minister Nkomo read the statement in the presence of Unicef country representative Mr Peter Salama and Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda.

“We are this afternoon delighted to inform the nation of successful negotiations with Unicef as regards the supply of water treatment chemicals to local authorities and Zinwa,” he said.
The new arrangement would see Unicef extending the assistance for a further nine months within which period it cut its support by 10 percent each month.

This means Unicef would supply water treatment chemicals until March 2012.
“We are grateful to Unicef who positively responded to our request for the extension and gradual withdrawal of the chemicals supply scheme,” said Minister Nkomo.

Mr Masunda alerted the nation recently during a full council meeting on Unicef’s withdrawal of the support.
He said Zimbabwe faced a cholera threat if no urgent measures were taken given the poor capacity of most councils to buy water treatment chemicals.

Minister Nkomo said he and Minister Chombo had agreed that councils should have a stand alone water account to cater specifically for water related issues.
Money from the account would be used to buy water treatment chemicals.
Minister Chombo urged councils to have reasonable water charges to enable more residents to pay. The majority of residents cannot afford the huge bills and remain in debt.
As a result councils end up hiring the services of debt collectors to pursue ratepayers but in most cases the people are hard pressed for cash and end up losing property to the city.