ZANU PF says it has plans to drill boreholes in all of the country’s cities and towns to avert water shortages.
This was revealed by the party’s director of information Tafadzwa Mugwadi.
Mugwadi said this was part of Zanu PF’s urban renewal project, which will usher a “borehole revolution” to avert water shortages occasioned by collapse of water reticulation infrastructure in cities and towns.
He blamed the opposition MDC councillors for running down the water systems.
He was speaking to journalists in Karoi at the weekend following the commissioning of a borehole in Ward 4 ahead of a Zanu rally presided over by party chairman, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
“Whether we like it or not, we need to respond to challenges of water, and the best solution at the moment is to drill boreholes. That is why the borehole was drilled. It’s not the only one, there are so many boreholes on their way.” Mugwadiu said.
“We are not only doing it for election purposes, but l should say post-election, whether we win or we don’t, we will continue to respond to water challenges,” he said.
“We had running water in urban areas and growth points, in upcoming cities and small towns. We allowed the opposition to come in and with their corrupt mentality and mismanagement disposition, they took over everything and left small towns and growth points in tatters,” he added.
“We were on slumber and let the opposition pick up pieces within local authorities in urban, peri-urban and growth points but Vision 2030 requires that those growth points are upgraded and become better cities.”
“We are saying let’s have a fresh start as we have a programme of modern cities by 2030. That is what the National Development Strategy (NDS1) says, that is what the vision is all about.”
He said Zanu PF was taking the March 26 by-elections seriously.
“We cannot achieve those if we don’t take seriously by-elections at local council. The reason being that Zanu PF seeks to deploy at every level where a public office is elected to ensure that we have lieutenants on the ground who transform the policies of modern cities into practical realities,” Mugwadi said.
In Karoi Urban, a by-election will be held in Ward 4 where Zanu PF candidate Solomon Chikwengwere squares off against CCC’s Rhoda Jaji.
The seat fell vacant following the controversial death in August 2020 of long-serving councillor, Lavender Chiwaya, who was found dead a few metres from his house.