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Minister Kasukuwere

Herald Reporter
WATER poses a national security threat that has potential to cause instability if Government fails to manage the resource well, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has said.
Delivering a lecture to 02/2013 participants at the National Defence College yesterday, Minister Kasukuwere said water management was one of Government’s core objectives as outlined in the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.

“Tensions over water frequently arise at the internal level usually originating between groups of people inside a State who are marginalised or discriminated against, or as a result of wide-spread dissatisfaction with the quality of water services with such tensions easily resulting in the loss of confidence in the Government in question and contributing to its instability. In this regard, water becomes a factor of national security,” said Minister Kasukuwere.

He said equitable water supply and quality problems were also threatening the security of some of the most developed countries in the world.
By providing safe drinking water, Minister Kasukuwere said would prevent many water-borne diseases while at the same time contributing to the economic strength and national security of any country.

He said water woes that characterised the country a few years ago resulted in a protest vote that saw the electorate voting for the opposition MDC-T. in 2008 harmonised elections

Water was important economic resource in agriculture, energy and the environment, he said.
“Indeed, poor water management can easily become a threat to the very existence of the State and a society.

“From the perspective of the State, when large water-related disasters strike like floods, droughts and cholera epidemics, many citizens experience losses at the same time.
“Such losses can easily become acceptable as part of normal baselines conditions.

“However, the legitimacy of the State is called into question if it fails to mobilise adequately to large-scale complex disasters such as floods, drought and epidemics,” he said.
Minister Kasukuwere said in line with Zim-Asset, Government would undertake various projects to address the urban water supply and sanitation infrastructure, construction of rural water supply, sanitation schemes, construction of dams and conveyance systems.