34th Cabinet Meeting Decisions Matrix
Cabinet received a report on the Harare water supply situation from the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
The report was prompted by developments during the previous week, when the Harare municipal authorities proceeded to completely shut down the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant, citing lack of water treatment chemicals.
Of greater concern to Cabinet was that such a far reaching decision was taken without prior consultations with Central Government.
That notwithstanding, Cabinet endorsed the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee comprising the Ministers of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing; Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement; Finance and Economic Development, and the Harare City Council, to come up with strategies to conclusively resolve the Harare City water supply challenges in the short, medium and long term.
The strategies will entail soliciting for investments into the city’s additional water supply sources, revamping of the water and sewer reticulation systems, boosting the water treatment works, and addressing the associated challenges of environmental pollution.
For instance, as a long-term measure, Government is to expedite implementation of the Kunzvi-Musami-Greater Harare and the Muda-Nyatsime-Chitungwiza water supply projects.
Furthermore, Government is working on a more centralised arrangement for the local procurement and production of water treatment chemicals for all local authorities.
Cabinet received a report by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, as Acting Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on the development of the Kanyemba area in Mbire District of Mashonaland Central Province.
The Kanyemba Development Project marks the beginning of implementation of the Second Republic’s strategy to develop previously marginalised and neglected areas of Zimbabwe in order to ensure that “no one is left behind”.
The report by the taskforce presented an overview of the progress made in the different facets of the Kanyemba Project.
Cabinet noted the report and resolved that, going forward, each of the key line ministries involved should bring periodic updates to Cabinet on progress in their respective areas of responsibility.
Cabinet considered and approved a memorandum on the Zimbabwe 2022 population and housing census as presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
The minister informed Cabinet that Zimbabwe was due to carry out a population and housing census in 2022 as required by the Census and Statistics Act, which stipulates that a national census be undertaken every 10 years. A key objective of the census is to improve knowledge on the social, demographic and economic characteristics of the population of Zimbabwe in order to facilitate the formulation and implementation of viable national strategies.
Cabinet further endorsed the various timelines and schedule of activities to be undertaken in the period before, during and in the aftermath of the census.
The Minister of Energy and Power Development informed Cabinet that he had recently concluded an agreement with the Mozambican authorities for the supply of an additional 100 megawatts from Hydroelectrica de Cahora Bassa of Mozambique.
This, together with ongoing rehabilitation of the existing small thermal power stations, should further consolidate the already improved electricity supply situation in the country.
The improvement should be reinforced by the institution of a cost reflective tariff system, improved operational efficiencies at ZESA, and effective demand-side management measures. The Ministry of Energy and Power Development is already seized with these issues.
Government has now established a new financing model for the Command Agriculture Programme.
The model is premised on the provision of funding to farmers by commercial banks, with Government providing the necessary guarantees.
So far, three commercial banks, that is, CBZ, Stanbic and Agribank are participating in the programme.
Other commercial banks are hereby encouraged to also come on board and support agriculture.
All farmers are, therefore, invited to approach the aforementioned banks for financial assistance in preparation for the imminent summer agricultural season.
This model will go a long way in ensuring transparency, accountability and sustainability of the programme.