Mnangagwa blames Zimbabwe councils for cholera outbreaks

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has indirectly attributed the sporadic cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe to opposition-run urban councils. He claimed that the towns and cities in Zimbabwe have deteriorated due to gross mismanagement by these councils, leading to issues with clean and safe drinking water, garbage collection, and sewage systems.

Mnangagwa expressed that improving healthcare alone is not the solution; it's more about effective service delivery in local authorities. He emphasized the need for a drastic overhaul of these local authorities and better planning for urban sprawl and infrastructure for clean water supply and reticulation.

The President mentioned that government would launch a nationwide borehole drilling program to ensure 35,000 villages have access to clean, solar-powered drinking water.

The opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change, did not comment on the issue. However, the Harare Metropolitan Residents Forum chairperson, Marvelous Kumalo, urged the central government to work with local authorities and find sustainable solutions to service delivery challenges. He pointed out that the central government is responsible for creating more water bodies and should allocate funds for sewer system upgrades.

Shepherd Chikomba, the national chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust, argued against drilling boreholes in urban areas and called for better water infrastructure, with treated tap water, and for councillors to prioritize residents' needs over political affiliations.