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Herald Reporter

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has redeployed some of its workers from catchment areas to service centres in a move that is expected to improve service delivery.

The staff rationalisation process has been necessitated by the water authority’s decentralisation programme that is expected to dovetail with Government’s devolution policy.

As a result, contract workers have be relieved.

ZINWA corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Manyonga said the exercise was routine.

“This is an exercise that was already in the authority’s plans and is in no way related to the Covid-19 interventions,” she said.

“The fact that it is being implemented during this period is purely a coincidence.

“This decentralisation and the termination of employment for contract workers is not a retrenchment exercise, no permanent employee has been affected or will be affected in the near future.”

Mrs Manyonga said the decentralisation of operations will also result in an improvement of the supply of water throughout the country.

“Due to introduction of service centres, there is going to be greater interaction between our customers and staff members,” she said.

“We want to ensure that the nation gets reliable supplies of water and our operations team will be at hand to address any challenges.”

ZINWA chief executive Engineer Taurai Maurikira said they were on a drive to ensure water authority returned to viability to be able to deliver its mandate.

“We want to assure the nation that there will be great improvement in service delivery as a result of the new service centres, as our customers will be able to get assistance without having to travel long distances,” he said.

“For instance, people in Murombedzi used to pay their water bills in Harare, but now there will be a service centre near to them.”