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Business Reporter
A local manufacturing company, Aqua Mundi Chemicals, is ready to cover the gap of chemicals used by local authorities for water treatment and save the country millions of dollars in foreign currency.

As previously reported by The Herald, The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) pledged to avail $2,5 million per month of foreign currency to Harare City Council for the purchase of water treatment chemicals. This ample allocation only caters for the City of Harare’s needs, the national bill being much higher after factoring in the requirements of other local authorities.

The Harare City Council has gained a reputation of pumping deplorable water into households with most residents having since stopped drinking the water.

Harare Mayor, Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni, has also conceded that the City is facing challenges in the provision of clean safe water due to a shortage of treatment chemicals which are imported using the elusive foreign currency.

In an interview with The Herald Business, Aqua Mundi’s Managing Director Dr Robert Tindwa said the company is ready to move in and save the much needed foreign currency which can then go to other productive sectors of the economy.

“We are a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, among them water treatment chemicals such as Aluminium Sulphate (Alum), Chlorine, Activated Carbon, Sodium Silicate and Liquid lime,” said Dr Tindwa.

“We have the capacity to produce the entire requirements of Harare’s water treatment chemicals such as Aluminium Sulphate and liquid lime and be a competitive substitute to what the country is channelling out in foreign currency.

“There are some chemicals like Aluminium Sulphate liquid, liquid lime and Sodium Silicate which we can supply immediately to any customer in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Tindwa.

He said his company will be approaching other local authorities across the country to inquire how Aqua Mundi can leverage its product offerings for the purpose of supplying residents across the nation safe water, simultaneously saving the country millions of dollars in valuable foreign currency.

Dr Tindwa, however, conceded there are other chemicals needed in the treatment of water like HTH Chlorine and Activated Carbon which would require about a three-month window to start producing at Aqua Mundi’s Ruwa-based plant. An increase in demanded volumes from local authorities would hasten the firms capacity.

The company, Dr Tindwa said, is planning to upgrade its plant to commence the full local manufacture of HTH Chlorine and Activated Carbon. At capacity Aqua Mundi would be able to export into the region with Zambia and the DRC being prime targets. The coming in of local players to plug-in foreign currency leakages is in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s calls to resuscitate local industry and to create jobs.