Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube says schools should not be allowed to open for learners if they do not have access to potable water.
Access to clean water is a basic right enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Speaking during a virtual Parliamentary portfolio committee meeting on Budget, Finance and Economic Development the minister said Government was working with development partners to avail water to schools across the country.
“We are working closely with development partners in mobilizing resources between treasury and the Ministry of primary and secondary education. WFP and other partners they are drilling boreholes across our schools and supporting Government in this way.
“Basically the rule is a school cannot open if there is no access to water, if there is no access to water in terms of piped water there has to be some boreholes facilities drilled or at least some water should be provided this is universal,” said Minister Ncube
The Minister said Government had set aside a health budget for the drilling boreholes and the acquisition of heavy duty drilling rigs.
“A school should not be opened without access to water. In terms of budget resource for this, we have a health budget set aside for DDF as well as Zinwa for bore hole drilling so there is a budget set aside for this. I don’t think we have been found wanting on that fund we have adequate funding for that.
“In terms of heavy duty drilling rigs we have again set aside a budget for Zinwa to acquire 8 drilling boreholes and DDF to acquire 10 additional heavy duty drilling boreholes for deeper boreholes because there are some areas that are very dry were you need to go 100 metres deeper or even 1 kilometer we have made plans for that eventuality.” he said.
The minister’s pronouncements are however not consistent with the situation on the ground where some schools have had to make-do without water.
A case in point is at Ruwinga Primary School in Guruve, Mashonaland Central were a recent visit by 263Chat revealed that the borehole installed there has not been functional for the past three years and the learning institution has had to operate under harsh conditions for both learners and teachers.
