Council rolls out water kiosks
to reap a huge dividend in terms of job creation and a vibrant service industry due to a wider scope for increased disposable incomes.
He said exporting presents more opportunities for increasing capacity utilisation for the sector, which would lay a solid ground for revival of support industries in transport and spare parts manufacturing.
Hwange-born businessman and economic analyst, Mr Morris Mpala, said revitalising the coal and energy value chain was strategic for the entire economy.
He said the coal mining dividend for Matabeleland North was also augmented by the diversity of tourism attraction centres whose investments stand to equally benefit from the coal value chain.
“Value addition of coal should be the norm. Coking coal is the future in that it has many by products for different industries such as fertiliser producers, tar for road construction and steel manufacturing among others. These highlight the significance of the black gold to the economy of this country,” said Mr Mpala.
“With these investments, expectation is on increased employment, export proceeds, technology and skills transfer. What we need is a shared valued model that allows a win-win scenario to say ‘how do locals get involved via their investment vehicles and Govt initiated schemes’.
“Value addition critical and at the same time we seek smart production, which is environmentally friendly. Our coal can still be sustainably exploited to aid power generation despite growing global campaigns against it.”
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo has said the President’s will activate the province to do more in terms of speeding up the implementation of developmental projects and spur economic growth.
According to the Chamber of Mines Zimbabwe, coal output increased from 2.9 million tons in 2017, to 3.1 tons in 2018. The positive trajectory continued in 2019 at a projected four million tons.
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) is rolling out a water kiosk programme to benefit 14 suburbs in high lying areas worst affected by the city’s water crisis, bringing relief to thousands of residents.
Council, in partnership with the private sector, has since installed six tanks each carrying 10 000 litres of water in Pumula South which got two tanks, and one tank each in Pumula East, Nkulumane, New Magwegwe and Cowdray Park.
Council yesterday commissioned the six completed water kiosks during a ceremony in Pumula South.
The tanks will be filled with water by council and its partners three days a week.
Council is implementing a 144-hour weekly water shedding exercise to manage dwindling water levels at the city’s dams that are at 26 percent full.
Some high lying areas are not receiving water even when supplies are restored due to low pressure in reservoirs making it impossible for water to reach their houses, a development that seen some areas going for up to seven months without water.
The water crisis is deemed to be the worst that the city has ever recorded and has triggered a typhoid and dysentery outbreak that has killed 13 and infected more than 1 800 in Luveve suburb and surrounding areas.
Council has come up with several interventions to address the water situation including working with development partners and the private sector in installing the water kiosks which are basically 10 000 litre water tanks that have either one or three taps.
The local authority has identified 25 sites in 14 suburbs where the water kiosks will be erected for improved water deliveries to residents.
Suburbs covered under the programme are Nkulumane which will have 4 tanks; Pumula South (3), Harrisvale (3), Sunninghill (2), Cowdray Park (2), Magwegwe (2), Tshabalala (2), Lobengula West (1), Lobengula Extension (1), Pumula East (1), Old Pumula (1), Emganwini (1), Lochview (1) and Woodville (1).