By Donald Nyarota.
MUTARE.(News of The South) – The Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund (ZimFund) has financed a major facelift, not only for the city’s dilapidated water and sanitation, but national emergency power infrastructure projects.
The fund which consists of seven donors, namely Australia, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and United Kingdom has contributed US$145,5 million.
This was in response to the socio-economic challenges in Zimbabwe during the last decade that severely affected the country’s infrastructure.
Due to limited resources for maintenance, most of the infrastructure including that of water supply and sanitation deteriorated thereby compromising the quality of both water supply and sanitation services.
This has been attributed as the major cause of 2008/9 severe cholera outbreak throughout the country.
To facilitate urgent assistance to Zimbabwe, a group of donors established ZimFund to provide resources to rehabilitate key water and sanitation infrastructure especially in the most affected cities of Harare, Mutare, Masvingo, Kwekwe including Chitungwiza and Chegutu.
The fund is currently financing two projects, namely the Urgent Water and Sanitation Rehabilitation Project (UWSSRP) and Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (EPIRP).
Phase I of the projects were launched in December 2011 and recently completed while Phase II projects kick-started in March 2014 with implementation being at procurement stage.
“The UWSSRP Phase I was allocated US$43,607 million and UWSSRP Phase II US$35,99 million. EPIRP Phase I was allocated US$39,61 million, while EPIRP Phase II was allocated US$32,94 million,” reads a statement from ZimFund.
The statement further indicated that $145,5 million has been channelled to date.
ZimFund and the African Development Bank (AfDB), which is the administrator of the projects, toured the Mutare water and sanitation programmes.
ZimFund protocol and liaison officer Bothwell Nyajena told The Zimbabwean that the completed phase under UWSSRP was to restore and stabilize water supply and sanitation services in the targeted cities.
“The objective of Phase 1 of the UWSSRP project was to provide support for the restoration and stabilization of water supply and sanitation services in six major cities,” he said.
The projects are to benefit a combined total population of 2,5 million in the six selected cities.
ZimFund was established in 2010 by the donor community to facilitate urgent assistance to Zimbabwe after the deterioration of its water and sanitation infrastructure as a result of the effects of the economic meltdown.
ZimFund
ZimFund together with AfDB, Finance Ministry, City of Mutare and residents trusts recently toured sites that benefitted from the fund in the eastern border city.
This includes Gimboki Treatment Plant, 12 kilometre Mutare outfall sewer and the 10 mega litres Chikanga Water Reservoir.
They are also funding the upgrading of the chlorination system at the Odzani Water Treatment plant, staff training programmes and supply of sanitation vehicles, equipment and tools.
Nyajena said the Mutare projects alone cost close to $10 million.
AfDB water and sanitation engineer Herbert Nyakutsikwa chipped by breaking down the figures.
“The Chikanga reservoir was constructed at a cost of $1,5 million while the bulk of the money was channelled towards the rehabilitation and expansion of the Gimboki sewer plant.
“Also take note that part of the money was also used to procure goods and services, studies, vehicle and sewer utility procurement, health and hygiene capacity building as well as procurement of protective clothing among others,” said Nyakutsikwa.
Mutare city engineer Donaldson Nyatoti said the financial aid came at an opportune time as it has improved service delivery tremendously.
“The assistance we received from our partners (ZimFund and AfDB) has been very instrumental in improving our service delivery to our residents in Mutare. I can safely say the Chikanga water reservoir is now fully operational. It’s supplying water to over 10,000 residents,” he said adding that Hobhouse residents are now accessing water after going for years without tap water.
“Also, the Gimboki sewer plant is now operating at 100 percent capacity after the financial bail-out from ZimFund to spearhead the rehabilitation process conducted by Indian engineers. Before the assistance, the plant was operating at 30 percent and discharging partially treated sewage into Sakubva River and in the process polluting it causing serious health implications,” said Nyatoti.
He went on to appeal to residents through their representative trusts on the need to desist from discharging sand and solid substances in their sewer system as it causes the treatment plant to mal-function.
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