Solarisation of rural water stations boosts access to clean water

Source: Solarisation of rural water stations boosts access to clean water – herald Precious Manomano Herald Reporter The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has solarised 78 diesel-powered small water supply stations across the country, significantly improving access to clean and reliable water for rural communities while reducing operational costs through the adoption of renewable energy. […]

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Source: Solarisation of rural water stations boosts access to clean water – herald

Precious Manomano

Herald Reporter

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has solarised 78 diesel-powered small water supply stations across the country, significantly improving access to clean and reliable water for rural communities while reducing operational costs through the adoption of renewable energy.

The programme has brought relief to thousands of people in rural service centres, particularly in areas where some of the water supply stations had remained idle for nearly two decades because of the high cost and unsustainability of operating diesel-powered engines.

ZINWA head of communications and marketing, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, said the solarisation programme is part of the authority’s broader strategy to embrace clean, renewable and environmentally friendly energy in line with its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.

She said the initiative has transformed water supply in many rural communities by restoring operations at previously dormant stations while improving production at those that had been struggling due to expensive diesel-powered systems.

“The solarisation of these stations is part of ZINWA’s commitment to adopting clean and renewable energy technologies while ensuring sustainable and affordable water supply services to rural communities,” she said.

“This initiative also supports our Environmental, Social and Governance goals by reducing carbon emissions and lowering operational costs.”

She said the authority is targeting to solarise a total of 100 diesel-powered small water supply stations by the end of the year.

According to ZINWA, some of the diesel-powered stations had been non-functional for nearly two decades, while production at those that remained operational had declined significantly because of the prohibitive cost of diesel.

The authority said converting the stations to solar energy has restored water supplies and substantially reduced operating costs, as solar power is far cheaper than diesel.

The upgraded stations are also able to operate for longer periods during the day, except under cloudy conditions, resulting in improved water availability for communities.

Mrs Munyonga said the programme has already increased water production, with the solarised stations now producing a combined average of about 3 500 cubic metres (3,5 million litres) of water per day, greatly improving access to safe water in the beneficiary areas.

Stations that have already been converted to solar power include Mutikizizi, Chitsa, Chinyika, Chivamba, Basera, Deure V23, Nerupiri, Rupike, Chinyabako, Chirorwe, Svuure, Chatikobo, Harava, Mukanga, Soti Source, Veza, Zinguwo, Mafuva, Devure Gutu, Sango Border Post, Malipati, Gezani, New Boli, Nyahombe and Tetenu.

Others are Berejena, Chidyamakono, Lundi-Siboza, Madamombe, Mushandike, Masvosva, Mukosi, Pandamatenga, Mataga, Deka Army, Lubimbi, Lusulu, Sipepa, St Luke’s, Dakamela, Nkayi, Dinyane, Dombodema, Mbamba, Lady Baring, Nswazi, Chiendambuya, Nyamazira, Ruwangwe, Manama, Mayobodo and Mugoti.

Mrs Munyonga said ZINWA has also embarked on rehabilitating water reticulation networks in the affected areas to curb leakages and repair ageing infrastructure responsible for water losses.

She added that the authority plans to automate the stations in the near future, reducing human intervention while improving the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of water supply systems.

The solarisation programme forms part of the Government’s broader efforts to strengthen rural water infrastructure, enhance climate resilience and expand access to safe and sustainable water supplies through the adoption of green energy technologies.

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Parliament pushes for completion of Senga civil servants’ housing project

Source: Parliament pushes for completion of Senga civil servants’ housing project – herald Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau THE Government has been urged to fast-track the completion of the Senga Messengers’ Camp flats, with Parliament saying the affordable housing project will bring much-needed relief to civil servants struggling with accommodation costs. The project, located about 5 […]

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Source: Parliament pushes for completion of Senga civil servants’ housing project – herald

Freedom Mupanedemo

Midlands Bureau

THE Government has been urged to fast-track the completion of the Senga Messengers’ Camp flats, with Parliament saying the affordable housing project will bring much-needed relief to civil servants struggling with accommodation costs.

The project, located about 5 km from Gweru’s Central Business District, is 40 percent complete and requires an additional US$2,7 million to be finished.

The entire scheme is expected to cost US$4,5 million. The four blocks of four-storey flats are intended to accommodate between 64 and 80 families and are being spearheaded by the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities under Minister Daniel Garwe.

Once completed, the Senga Messengers’ Camp flats are expected to provide affordable rental accommodation for civil servants, with proceeds earmarked for maintenance and future housing projects.

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on Monday toured the site to assess progress.

The visit revealed a stalled project, with the site overgrown and no construction activity taking place.

Only four unfinished blocks stood on the ground. Construction of the flats started in February 2022, and they were expected to be completed within seven months, by September 2022.

However, the project has faced several delays and contractor impasses. Director of Construction and Maintenance in the Ministry, Mr Gede Gwenhure, said poor soil conditions had forced additional expenditure on foundations.

“The soils here were not strong, so the money went towards the special foundation,” Mr Gwenhure said during the tour. “We are procuring materials for the next stage. We have bricks and three-quarter stones.”

He attributed slow progress to budget constraints and a Government prioritisation policy.

“In terms of the budget, we have not been able to complete. It’s about the spirit of prioritisation — do what is about to be completed,” he said.

Marondera project is first before this one. Marondera is 80 percent complete, so it’s not on the priority list this year. From Marondera we come here because of the stage we are at,” he said.

Despite the delays, Mr Gwenhure said the ministry was banking on a rental model to make the scheme self-sustaining.

“These will be for rentals and Government will make money. At the end of the day our project should generate income,” he said.

“We are targeting seven blocks in due course. These houses will be cheap for civil servants. A four-roomed house will be going for at least US$100. It can be a stop order and the occupant will have peace of mind.”

He said the flats were a critical intervention to grow the country’s housing stock for civil servants and vulnerable households. Yes, we have issues to do with maintenance, but we can plough back the money.”

Leading the oversight visit, Committee chairperson Dr Maxmore Njanji said Parliament would engage the Ministry of Finance to ensure funds are released.

“We are here for an oversight visit, accompanied by members from our committee,” Dr Njanji said.

“We commend the government for working on providing cheap and affordable houses. We want our people to have places to stay.”

He said the exercise was in fulfilment of Parliament’s constitutional mandate to hold state institutions accountable.

“This is a nationwide exercise. We are going across the country. We will engage the Ministry of Finance so that this project is completed in time. This is a commendable project that is being implemented by the Government,” Dr Njanji said.

Committee member Donald Mavhudzi said funding remained the biggest obstacle. “The challenge is finance. There is not enough finance to complete this project,” he said.

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DPC Bill to bolster depositor protection 

Source: DPC Bill to bolster depositor protection – herald Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent PARLIAMENT has begun considering the Deposit Protection Corporation (DPC) Amendment Bill, which seeks to strengthen depositor protection, establish a dedicated insolvency framework for banking institutions and enhance financial stability. Addressing a DPC Amendment Bill workshop in Harare on Tuesday, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee […]

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Source: DPC Bill to bolster depositor protection – herald

Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

PARLIAMENT has begun considering the Deposit Protection Corporation (DPC) Amendment Bill, which seeks to strengthen depositor protection, establish a dedicated insolvency framework for banking institutions and enhance financial stability.

Addressing a DPC Amendment Bill workshop in Harare on Tuesday, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion chairperson Cde Lincoln Dhliwayo said the proposed legislation will close long-standing legal gaps in Zimbabwe’s financial sector.

“The Bill’s primary objective is to strengthen the Deposit Protection Corporation and, by extension, protect depositors,” he said.

“It introduces fundamental reforms that will transform the manner in which we deal with the insolvency of banking institutions in Zimbabwe.”

Cde Dhliwayo said the Bill establishes, for the first time, a specialised insolvency regime for banking institutions, recognising that the collapse of a bank carries systemic risks that cannot be adequately addressed through ordinary insolvency laws.

He said Parliament will conduct nationwide public hearings on the Bill from July 20 to 24 and urged legislators to familiarise themselves with its provisions ahead of the consultations.

“We cannot explain to the public what we do not understand. This workshop is therefore essential to ensure that when we go out to the people, we do so with confidence,” he said.

DPC board member and shareholders’ representative Ms Meluleki Sibanda said the Corporation has, with effect from July 1, increased the deposit protection cover for commercial bank depositors from US$1 000 to US$3 000, while the cover for deposit-taking microfinance institutions had been raised to US$2 000.

“All those with deposits of up to US$3 000 in commercial banks can be assured that their money is protected and insured,” she said.

Ms Sibanda said the amendment process followed years of technical reviews, international benchmarking and stakeholder consultations aimed at strengthening Zimbabwe’s financial safety net.

She said the proposed law will create a distinct insolvency regime for banking institutions while improving financial stability and protecting depositors.

DPC chief executive Mr Hopewell Zinyau said the corporation protects depositors through a fund financed by premiums collected from participating banking institutions and deposit-taking microfinance institutions.

He said eligible depositors are compensated within 14 days after the closure of a financial institution, up to the insured limits.

“Our role is to collect premiums, grow the fund and compensate depositors when a bank fails,” said Mr Zinyau.

He said the DPC Fund had grown from US$15,2 million in December 2024 to US$29 million in December 2025 and currently stands at US$42 million, with a target of about US$48 million by the end of the year.

Mr Zinyau said Zimbabwe currently lacks a dedicated bank insolvency framework, making the proposed amendments critical to improving crisis management in the financial sector.

He said the amendments seek to strengthen depositor protection, enhance financial stability, improve crisis preparedness and align Zimbabwe’s deposit protection framework with international best practice.

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Mnangagwa defends Zimbabwe’s term extension after once pledging to leave office in 2028 

Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended constitutional amendments extending his presidency to 2030, saying the reforms were a collective decision despite criticism from opposition groups and legal experts Source: Mnangagwa defends Zimbabwe’s term extension after once pledging to leave office in 2028 | Business Insider Africa Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended the constitutional amendments […]

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Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended constitutional amendments extending his presidency to 2030, saying the reforms were a collective decision despite criticism from opposition groups and legal experts

Source: Mnangagwa defends Zimbabwe’s term extension after once pledging to leave office in 2028 | Business Insider Africa

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended the constitutional amendments that extend his presidency until 2030, insisting the changes were the result of a “collective decision” rather than his personal ambition, even though he had previously pledged to leave office in 2028.

  • President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended Zimbabwe’s constitutional amendments extending his presidency to 2030, saying the reforms reflected a “collective decision.”
  • The remarks contrast with his previous public pledge to leave office when his second term ended in 2028.
  • The amendments delay the next general election, extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and replace direct presidential elections with parliamentary selection.
  • The reforms have sparked legal challenges and criticism from opposition parties, civil society groups and some liberation war veterans.

Speaking during an interview with senior state media journalists at State House in Harare, Mnangagwa said Parliament had “done the correct thing” by approving Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, which was signed into law last week.

The legislation extends Zimbabwe’s presidential, parliamentary and local government terms from five years to seven years, postpones the next general election from 2028 to 2030, replaces direct presidential elections with selection by Parliament and expands the Senate from 80 to 90 members, with the president appointing the additional 10 senators.

“It wasn’t an idea of an individual. You cannot attribute this to a particular individual or group of persons, but a collective evolution of the political process,” Mnangagwa said.

The president rejected suggestions that the reforms were designed to serve one person, saying government decisions were reached collectively.

“I don’t believe in individual persuasion or individual systems where the wishes of an individual take the day. I carry my Cabinet and the country on whatever decision we make,” he said.

A reversal from earlier assurances

Mnangagwa’s defence marks a sharp contrast with remarks he made in September 2024 during a visit to China, when he publicly stated that he would step down at the end of his constitutionally mandated second term in 2028.

At the time, he said he already knew the date he would leave office and urged supporters campaigning for him to remain in power to abandon the effort.

The new constitutional amendments, however, extend his current term by two years to 2030 while keeping the two-term limit in place by lengthening each presidential term from five years to seven.

Critics challenge the reforms

The amendments have drawn criticism from opposition parties, constitutional lawyers, civil society organisations and some veterans of Zimbabwe’s liberation war, who argue that such far-reaching constitutional changes should have been subjected to a national referendum.

Several legal challenges have already been filed, questioning both the process used to pass the amendments and their compatibility with constitutional provisions designed to prevent incumbents from extending their tenure.

The government has defended the reforms as necessary to improve governance, align election cycles and provide greater political stability. Supporters also argue that the two-term presidential limit remains intact despite the longer tenure.

Why it matters

The constitutional changes come as Zimbabwe seeks to rebuild investor confidence, restructure billions of dollars in external debt and attract fresh foreign investment after years of economic instability.

Political stability is often cited by the government as essential for economic recovery. However, governance reforms that alter presidential succession and electoral rules are also closely watched by investors, creditors and international partners as indicators of institutional predictability.

Whether the amendments strengthen long-term stability or deepen political divisions is now likely to be tested both in Zimbabwe’s courts and in the country’s political arena ahead of the rescheduled 2030 elections.

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Water shedding driving sewage overflows and pipe bursts in Bulawayo

Source: Water shedding driving sewage overflows and pipe bursts in Bulawayo — CITEZW Bulawayo City Council says the city’s water-shedding programme is a major cause of recurring sewage overflows and water pipe bursts, with the ageing network unable to withstand repeated interruptions to water supply. Ward 23 councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo, who chairs the council’s Health, […]

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Source: Water shedding driving sewage overflows and pipe bursts in Bulawayo — CITEZW

Bulawayo City Council says the city’s water-shedding programme is a major cause of recurring sewage overflows and water pipe bursts, with the ageing network unable to withstand repeated interruptions to water supply.

Ward 23 councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo, who chairs the council’s Health, Housing and Education Committee, said the city’s ageing infrastructure was designed for a continuous flow of water rather than the frequent opening and closing of valves required under the current rationing system.

Speaking to CITE, Khumalo said the intermittent supply places significant pressure on the network, leading to frequent failures.

“The main problem that we have is water shedding, which is contributing to sewage bursts because these pipes are not meant to be opened and closed. When the pipes are closed and later reopened, that is when we experience pipe bursts,” she said.

“If residents report these bursts to the city council as soon as they occur, they can be resolved. However, the next time water is restored, the pipes may burst in a different location, not necessarily where repairs were carried out.”

Bulawayo has relied on water shedding for years because of limited supplies in its dams, forcing the local authority to ration water to residents.

Khumalo said the long-term solution was to restore a continuous daily water supply, which would reduce stress on the ageing infrastructure.

“Our expectation is that the whole of Bulawayo gets water every day. The problem is the opening and closing of the valves, which gives us these challenges. The pipes were designed to remain open and have a continuous flow of water, not to be closed. As a result, we end up with sewage bursts and pipe bursts, and clean water is also lost,” she said.

She said the council had begun replacing old water pipes as part of efforts to modernise the network, although the benefits had yet to be fully realised because water shedding remained in place.

“Currently, we have contracted companies to replace these old pipes. This initiative started last year. The contractors are on the ground right now, but the results are not really visible because of the water shedding,” Khumalo said.

She also urged residents to stop dumping waste into drains and sewer systems, saying blockages were worsening sewage problems.

“Another solution is raising awareness among residents to stop dumping waste into drainages because when we open the pipes, we find sand, teaspoons and other waste,” she said.

Khumalo said the council had already increased the number of hours that residents receive water and expressed hope that improved supplies from Mzingwane and Insiza dams would further ease pressure on the city’s water system.

“We have also increased the hours of water supply across the City of Bulawayo. If the pipes connected to Mzingwane and Insiza Dam are fixed and the dams are able to provide more water, we will have enough water and reduce water shedding in the city,” she said.

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