The Sunday News
ZIMBABWE’S 2012 national census is now history though its findings are making waves following the recent release of the final report. While the country’s democratic space allows for the citizens to dissect the report and critique even the manner in which the process was undertaken, there is one important thing that should never be overlooked, that the census is an important national process whose findings are key in future planning for various sectors.
We admit that in any process of such magnitude there is bound to be much hue and cry but that should never detract us from the original goal of the process.
The Government has to meet many expectations following the emphatic electoral victory of July 31 last year and the manifesto that won the election, that has been fashioned into the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) and the outcome of the 2012 census, are important documents that shall be used to inform policy going forward, in spite of reservations or disagreements over their accuracy and effectiveness.
While the national statistics agency expends its energy on explaining and rebutting criticism of its processes and outcomes, it is important that central Government and local authorities take seriously the results of the census and attend to issues raised in the report. Issues of water provision, lack of toilet facilities and general sanitation cannot be brushed aside as they require urgent and robust action from central government and local authorities, together with various partners.
It is indeed an indictment on the Government and its many development partners that more than a million people in Zimbabwe have no access to toilets.
We can do better, and we should do better. These are matters that we believe we should be seized with since they touch on the generality of our population, which population reposed its faith in the present leadership in July last year.
We have seen how the scourge of disease can ravage a country should there be momentary lapse especially in the area of sanitation.
The era of cholera a few years ago is a sad reminder of how bad things can go should people lack a consistent source of clean water.
There should be no short cuts in the provision of clean water and this is not a negotiable issue since our people have a right to access to clean water and Government and local authorities should ensure that the need is met.
The country’s major cities have faced challenges in meeting demand for clean water with many residents going without tap water in areas such as Harare due to several reasons, chief among them a lack of adequate pumping capacity.
We have also seen massive water rationing in Bulawayo over the years while the latest headache for the city is the environmental threat posed by the discharge of sewage and industrial effluent into the city’s waterways that has rendered the uMguza water system a health hazard. These are real issues that even processes like the census make reference to through showing us how many households have access to clean water, flush toilets and other services required for them to maintain a reasonable standard of living that meets our obligations as a country in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
This past week there have been reports that Gwanda town has also gone on a tight water rationing programme due to failure by the town council to pay the Zimbabwe National Water Authority for purified water, rendering Zinwa incapable of continuing to supply adequate water to the town.
A college in the town is faced with closure due to the water crisis that puts that whole community in danger of disease outbreaks since a lack of clean water will force residents to turn to unsafe options.
It then means that Bulawayo and Gwanda, among other towns, have to be on alert regarding their water and sanitation due to the issues referred to above.
Though these towns may not have been affected much by the cholera outbreak that swept across the country a few years ago, that should not be a reason for complacency.
We need councils that distinguish themselves through their forward planning and quick responses to emergencies where they arise, instead of the unwelcome distinction of paying their top officials more than any other local authority, for providing the worst service!
We are heartened that Bulawayo fares quite well in the provision of flush toilets but problems with its sewage works could reverse such gains since improper waste management could void all the gains demonstrated by the 93 percent toilet coverage.
We learn that the city will seek borrowing powers to raise about $13 million required to rehabilitate its sewage works though we believe this is an emergency where certain procedures may have to be waived in order to avert a health disaster.
As Zimbabweans digest the census results, we implore different sectors not to be too defensive where statistics seem to apportion blame but to use the report as a guide to improve for the betterment of the population.
After all, it is all about meeting the needs of the 13 million Zimbabweans rather than finger pointing and trying to justify mediocrity through comparing yourselves with the worst performers.
