Zimnat hands over nationwide boreholes to Health and Child Care Ministry

Zimnat and Health Maintenance Network Africa on Tuesday handed over 10 boreholes valued at more than five million Zimbabwe dollars to the Ministry of Health and Child Care as their contribution towards combatting COVID-19.

The boreholes were officially handed over to the ministry at the commissioning of the first of them at Murereka Clinic in Lion's Den, Mashonaland West Province, at a ceremony officiated at by Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka.

Zimnat and Health Maintenance Network Africa, a member of the CareNet Africa Group, are providing a borehole in each of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces.

Handing over the Murereka Clinic community borehole, Zimnat Life Assurance managing director Workmore Chimweta said the boreholes were being provided as part of the nation's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim being to help flatten the COVID-19 curve by providing clean water in each of the country's provinces.

"The project is in line with our mission of making lives better and was funded through our partner, the Sanlam Group, which is the largest non-banking financial services group in Africa," Mr Chimweta said.

Zimnat group chief executive Mustafa Sachak said that in contributing to the fight against COVID-19 Zimnat had wanted to provide something that would be useful beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In partnership with Health Maintenance Network Africa, we decided to drill boreholes in each province, since a clean and safe water supply is a basic human need and necessary to sustain all forms of life.

"We hope that our efforts, through Sanlam, combined with those of the government, Health Maintenance Network Africa, local authorities and the various corporate bodies who have joined the fight against COVID-19, will result in the virus being effectively controlled and eliminated and will continue benefiting communities beyond COVID-19," Mr Sachak said.

Accepting the donation on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Mrs Mliswa Chikoka thanked Zimnat and Health Maintenance Network Africa for their initiative, which she said would benefit not just the clinic but the community surrounding it.

"Through this initiative, you have truly lived up to your purpose of making lives better, especially at such a crucial time," she said.

"With fully functioning boreholes, the respective communities now have running water and can introduce sustainable vegetable and livestock projects.  

"Through these projects, community members will acquire different agricultural skills, resulting in an increase in agricultural productivity at community level. This can change the livelihood of most families and enhance project undertaking on a commercial basis.

"Additionally, the community no longer has to wait for long to get water. Now a short walk allows everyone access to fresh, clean water and can most importantly help in the fight against COVID 19," she said.

Officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Mashonaland West, community representatives and Chief Magonde also attended the event.

Zimnat and Health Maintenance Network Africa are part of the Masawara Group, an investment company with interests in financial services, technology, property, agro-chemicals, and hospitality.