Water Resources Development and Management minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo has accused “politicians in Harare” of falsely claiming that Bulawayo was running out of water in the past to mobilise businesses in the city to relocate.
In an interview with NewsDay, Nkomo said reports in previous years of Bulawayo water reserves allegedly running low might be linked to the desire of what he called “Harare politicians” in advancing centralisation by mobilising businesses and people to relocate to Mashonaland.
“The political connotation in reports of Bulawayo water running low cannot be ignored,” he said.
“The people who are largely quoted by the media as having said Bulawayo has little or no water are politicians based in Harare,” he said.
“When an investor comes to Zimbabwe, they hear of Bulawayo water reserves being low and immediately lose interest in the region without finding out for themselves the truth of the matter.
“Bulawayo water is enough to sufficiently accommodate their industry.” Nkomo said the city had enough water for both residents and business to see it through 2012.
“As Minister for Water, I am confident that Bulawayo will not run out of water, the water will definitely last well throughout 2012,” he said.
“People should not panic when they get water cuts because they are just demand management measures that are taken to preserve water supplies and should not be mistaken as proof of a water crisis in Bulawayo.”
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Nkomo said an Israeli delegation of water conservationists would visit Zimbabwe at the beginning of 2012 to make an assessment of the country’s water reserves.
He said this would assist in coming up with effective water conservation strategies.
