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Municipal Reporter

More than 400 houses in Glen View 3 suburb have now been connected to solar-powered boreholes under the Presidential Borehole Scheme.

The programme, which is leaving no one and no place behind, has also been taken in various places including Binga, Mutare and Chitungwiza.

President Mnangagwa introduced the borehole scheme in urban areas after noting the challenges that residents had in accessing clean water due to incompetence by opposition councillors that have been running local authorities since year 2000.

Most urban areas, principally Harare, have erratic water supplies, but then, the water is unsafe to drink, hence the coming in of the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme.

Prevail Group of Companies chairman Mr Tempter Tungwarara, who was contracted to undertake the drilling of boreholes, said the programme was going on well.

“In Glen View, we are targeting 1 000 houses that will be connected to solar-powered boreholes,” said Mr Tungwarara.

“We first connected 200 houses in Glen View 3 and now an additional 200 have been connected. However, while awaiting to connect new households, people will continue to fetch water at the solar-powered boreholes.

“The programme is nationwide, with people in Binga, Mutasa and Mutare having also been connected and the target is now Buhera.”

A Glen View 3 resident, Mrs Anna Chitima, said the connection of water to her house has brought relief to her.

“I would walk at least 10km to fetch water daily. The Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme is a game-changer as I can now access water right from the tap inside my house,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Bernard Chiripanyanga, said water woes had become a serious challenge for him.

“We hardly received tap water, yet we were being billed for the same every month. We are glad that we are now receiving clean water right inside our houses,” he said.

Mrs Tendai Samande said they had gotten used to fetching water from unprotected sources, putting their health at risk.

“But thanks to the loving President, we now have clean water in our houses. Glen View has been a hotspot for cholera and typhoid over the years because of unclean water supplied by the City of Harare and when council has stopped supplies, which it does regularly now, we would get it from shallow wells.

“We were at risk of a repeat of that scenario, but President Mnangagwa heard our cries and has provided us clean water,” he said.

Many other residents said given the many good things that Zanu PF and President Mnangagwa have done in the last four years, it was only fitting that the ruling party be voted back next year to fulfil some of its plans that are just starting.