Mpofu, who recently entertained revellers at a media dinner organised by the Harare Water Department, revealed that he was lucky to be alive after he nearly died following a cholera attack in 2008 that killed more than 4,000 people.
“There is a saying which goes, ‘Water is life’ but that can be the opposite if the same water is contaminated. I understand the disease is caused by drinking water that is contaminated and this is a deadly disease.
‘‘On the day I got infected, I started vomiting and had serious diarrhoea before feeling very weak. Luckily for me, my mother quickly prepared sugar solution for me before rushing me to the hospital where I got treated,” Mpofu said.
The energetic musician has now composed a song “Chisikana Changu Zimbabwe”, which celebrates the country’s beautiful natural resources and urges Zimbabweans to properly manage waste and conserve water.
The city’s Director of Urban Planning, Psychology Chiwanga, speaking during the dinner reception, said the city’s master plan stipulated that Harare was supposed to have a new source of water by 2002 but that has not happened despite the fact that population in the capital has ballooned beyond projected levels.
“We are working flat out to ensure the Kunzvi Dam project is finalised because we expect it to produce at least 250 mega litres of potable water upon completion. We are looking for financial assistance from the government and local or international financial lenders to make it a success because that is the only sure way of alleviating the current water crisis,” Chiwanga told journalists.
The city’s Director of the Institute of Water and Sanitation Development, Noma Neseni, said residents in areas like Tafara, Mabvuku and Glen Lorne have for a long time been experiencing acute water shortages but there was no immediate solution.
She added that treated water was being lost through leaks from burst pipes which were old and thus needed replacement.
Neseni urged aggressive public awareness campaigns relating to water, sanitation and hygiene. “We want to implement a holistic water management and conservation system and we are happy that the government, through the office of the Prime Minister, has been a key partner in the Water Conservation and Zero Litter Campaign,” Neseni said.
Post published in: News