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Municipal Reporter
Harare City Council has approached Government with a request for its multi-million dollar project to replace more than 5 500 kilometres of water reticulation infrastructure in the city to be granted national project status. According to the Industrial Development Policy (2012-2016), such a status is often granted to Government funded projects which have a national impact.

Once a project is granted national status, most goods imported to execute it are exempted from import duty.
Harare, in partnership with a South African company, Cressham Investments Proprietary, plans to rehabilitate the city’s water network as well as install broadband along the water mains.

Leaks account for up to 60 percent of Harare’s treated water.
A Cressham Investments official recently told the Joint Business and Environmental Management Committee that the main thrust of the project was to ensure fulfilment of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) objectives on the improvement of water provision to residents as well as to upgrade broadband connectivity within the city.

“The committee was further advised that in order for this project to be effectively implemented, it was necessary for the project to be given the national project status to enable the engagement of relevant stakeholders and organisations to facilitate quick implementation of the project,” read part of the minutes.

Town clerk, Dr Tendai Mahachi, told the committee that consultations were underway with Government for the project to be granted national status.
It is anticipated that the project would be implemented within a five-year period with a total of 1 000 kilometres being implemented on a yearly basis.
The committee noted that once the project has been implemented, water leakages would be reduced from 60 percent to 30 percent.