Govt in Matabeleland Water Project

PRESS STATEMENT BY HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT, HONOURABLE SAMUEL SIPEPA NKOMO, MP

3 DECEMBER 2009

1. THE MATABELELAND ZAMBEZI WATER PROJECT

Following my cabinet request to transfer the ownership and management of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project from the private hands of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust to the GoZ, I am pleased to inform the nation that the request was given the green light by cabinet on the 1st of December 2009. I therefore take this opportunity to brief the nation on the MZWP as well as other commitments that my Ministry has of late been involved in.
 
Reasons for seeking a transfer of ownership

Since it was first mooted in 1912, the MZWP has moved at a very slow pace and this has only served to worsen the critical water supply situation in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

The first pre-feasibility study done by Government was in 1934. Nothing was done on the project till the 1991 – 1992 national drought that prompted city fathers in Bulawayo together with prominent persons from Matabeleland to revisit the project.

In order to finance the project under a BOOT arrangement, the Trust combined with ZIMAL, a Malaysian company to form a new company called HOPE MOUNT SERVICES PVT LTD. However, by 2004 little progress was noted on securing funding for this project and it was then that initial attempts were made to nationalise the project.

Apart from the funding and project implementation issues, there are other important issues in the project which could not be left in private hands. These include water allocation to the various sectors from the conveyance system, water pricing and adherence to operational standards among others.

Significance of the cabinet approval

The MZWP effectively becomes a government project in terms of both leadership and management. It ceases to be a regional project but a national one with Government of Zimbabwe being the accountable authority.

The project has assumed the much needed political will that was lacking all along. We are hopeful that this will remove the many bottle-necks that the project encountered over the years.

The way forward

Perhaps our biggest commitment from now onwards will be to mobilise resources, both financial and technical, for the implementation of the project including the completion of the Gwayi-Tshangani Dam.

My Ministry will also forthwith hold consultative meetings with the affected communities in order to improve stakeholder buy-in.

We will also be assessing the existence and extent of any rights and liabilities on the project by the MZWT.

We shall also be working towards finalising the design of the water conveyance system and water abstraction quantities from the Zambezi.

2. AFRICAN MINISTERS COUNCIL ON WATER (AMCOW) OUTCOMES BRIEF

I also want to take this opportunity to brief the nation on the outcomes of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) conference that I attended in Johannesburg, South Africa from the 9th to the 13th of November 2009.

Operating under the banner of the 2nd Africa Water Week, the AMCOW conference saw African development partners at the conference undertaking to support African Governments in the provision of water and sanitation in the following manner:

1. As per the AU request, convening the meeting of the African Ministers of Water and Finance in New York, United States of America, in March 2010. The meeting will be dedicated to reviewing achievements and to mobilising resources for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative.

2. Formulation of the action plan for implementation of the Ethekwini, Tunis and Sharm El-Sheikh commitments as regards water and sanitation provision.

3. Strategising for increasing the financing of the African Water Facility.

4. Advocating for country sector reviews and development of national MDG’s investment plans.

5. Implementing the African monitoring and evaluation framework.

6. Annual reporting to the African Union Commission on the work of AMCOW

7. Promote gender mainstreaming and civil society participation in national water and sanitation issues.

8. Significantly enhance AMCOW sub regional presence.

9. Ensuring the majority of the African countries contribute to AMCOW trust funds.

AMCOW Leadership

I also want to bring to your attention that the Republic of South Africa has assumed the Presidency of AMCOW for two years (2010 – 2011), under the leadership of the Honourable Ms Buyelwa Patience Sonjica, South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs.

Zimbabwe was also privileged to be elected as one of the five Vice Presidents to the AMCOW for two years (2010 – 2011).

3. 2010 SADC MINISTERS OF WATER CONFERENCE

During the SADC Ministers of Water conference in Maputo, Mozambique, July 2008, Zimbabwe was selected to host the April 2010 conference. We look forward to hosting the event and preparations are already under way.

We hope to use our hosting of the event to bring national attention to the water sector in Zimbabwe so as to widen stakeholder participation.