adminCharity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
THE inaugural Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Energy (WASHen) expo kicks off at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds in Bulawayo today with exhibitors optimistic of fruitful business engagements. The two-day event has attracted civic society leaders, the business community, industry and policy makers who have registered their participation and will be seeking to use the platform to discuss issues affecting their sectors with a view of drawing up actionable resolutions to achieve the Zim-Asset goals.
ZITF company general manager Nomathemba Ndlovu said the exhibition had received overwhelming bookings from participants.
“Organisations that have booked include local authorities, non-governmental organisations, water bottling companies, suppliers of hygiene products, water treatment, filters and chemicals and rainwater management desalination,” she said.
“We’re anticipating more bookings from producers of submersible piping systems, irrigation equipment, sanitation products as well as other related products and services.”
Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Saviour Kasukuwere and his Energy and Power Development counterpart Dzikamai Mavhaire are expected to grace the event.
Kasukuwere will deliver the keynote address under the topic “Water at the Centre Stage of Zimbabwe’s Economic Development” at the official opening cocktail tonight.
It is hoped that the Washen expo will be a one stop, all inclusive, interactive platform and market place on an extremely important resource. It will combine a trade show with interactive educational and networking programmes.
The launch of the Washen expo brings to six the number of sector specific exhibitions that the trade fair company organises and hosts.
The sector specific exhibitions under the trade fair include Mine Entra, A’Sambeni Africa Bus Tourism, Travel Expo and Pak Print.
The exhibition, organised in partnership with SNV, the Netherlands Development Organisation, is set to be a conducive platform for knowledge, best practice and lesson sharing.
It will also present partnership opportunities between the public and private sectors to improve water, sanitation and energy management in the country.
Today’s discussions will centre on issues of sustainable water management as well as sanitation and hygiene.
Other speakers lined up include Eng Herbert Nyakutsikwa (ZimFund), Dr Lerato Nare (SNV), Fadzai Mukonoweshuro (AUSAID), Eng Ngoni Mudege (World Bank), among others.
Major topics include financial turnaround in urban utilities, rural water financing, rural and urban water planning, public and private sector roles in hygiene and sanitation, among other interesting topics.
Tomorrow, WASHen will join the national Clean Energy Week celebrations through an energy conference themed, “Relevant, Integrated and Viable National Energy Solutions.”
Minister Mavhaire is expected to make a presentation on “Energy as the Core Driver of Zimbabwe’s Economic and Social Development.”
Foreign speakers from South Africa (DNA Economics, Eskom and the National Energy Regulatory Authority) as well as Mozambique (Vitens Evides International) will also attend.
“To show their commitment to WASHen 2014, relevant stakeholders have also scheduled their meetings to coincide with the event. The monthly WASH meetings of the Urban WASH Emergency Rehabilitation Co-ordination Group and the WASH Sector Coordination Information Forum will be held in Bulawayo at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre on 25 and 26 September respectively,” said Ndlovu.
Meanwhile, the ZITF 2015 marketing campaign will also be officially launched during the same event.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu