Plan International (Zimbabwe) has released US$10 000 towards rehabilitation of water facilities destroyed by Cyclone Idai in Chipinge.
The furious storm caused serious damage in Chipinge and Chimanimani two weeks ago.
Chipinge town has been without running water for two weeks after pipes and tanks were swept away by mudslides and floods.
Plan International head of programmes, Tsungai Mahumucha told NewsDay that materials needed to undertake the project had been given to Chipinge Town Council and repair work had started and was on schedule with supplies expected to be reconnected soon.
“There has been no running water in Chipinge town since Cyclone Idai disaster struck due to extensive damage to the pipeline supplying the town with water, impacting about 20 000 people. Currently, Plan International has committed to rehabilitating the water reticulation system,” she said.
“The procurement of the required materials valued at US$10 000 is now complete and these materials have been delivered to the Chipinge Town Council and rehabilitation work is underway. Currently, people are accessing water from open streams and springs putting children at risk to diarrheal diseases.”
Mahumucha said their humanitarian assistance such as distribution of sanitary ware, towels, toothbrushes, panties and soap was focusing more on the vulnerable groups including women, girls and children.
She said Plan International was providing psychosocial support for traumatised communities in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts, particularly children.
“With the trauma children have suffered we have set up child safe space at Skyline, Kopa, Rusitu and Ngangu, where we are rolling out child protection in emergencies and education in emergencies programmes. We have provided psychosocial support for 422 girls, 176 boys, 314 women and 110 men,” Mahumucha said.
BeFINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube was yesterday grilled in the Senate by opposition legislators over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s penchant to travel in hired luxurious private jets when the country is saddled with serious problems like shortages of drugs and fuel.
In the 2019 Bluebook, the President was allocated $15,7 million for his foreign travel expenses and $1,4 million for domestic travel expenses.
Matabeleland South Senator Bekithemba Mpofu (MDC Alliance) asked Ncube during the Senate question and answer session: “What is government policy on international travels by the President? Are we going to continue to hire planes or you intend to buy an aircraft for the President in the long run?”
Mnangagwa recently hired three different luxury jets to fly him to Bulawayo, Angola and South Africa at high cost and senators felt the foreign currency would have been better spent paying for scarce medicines.
Ncube defended Mnangagwa’s travels, saying that even if he flew in a hired private jet, the expenses incurred were within the President’s Office travel budget, which was also approved by Parliament.
“The President’s Office has a budget allocated through processes that come through this House and which you endorsed and they are using that budget in a normal way to meet the President’s travel budget,” Ncube said.
“He (Mnangagwa) is an international leader and all his travel is necessary for the good of the country as he has to participate in critical meetings to ensure that our country remains in the international community. These are normal travels and are through the normal budget.
“All I know is that they are within his current travel requirements, and his office is able to live within that budget approved by the President’s Office as well as by you senators,” the Finance minister said.
But Bulawayo Metropolitan Senator Siphiwe Ncube sought further clarification, saying the problem was more to do with the luxurious planes that Mnangagwa hired whenever he travelled than the provided budget.
“The question really is that the country is suffering and there is no money, but the President is busy hiring a $12 500 per hour private jet when there are no medicines. Even the Parliament clinic has no medicines and so what we are questioning is that, it is not proper for Mnangagwa to travel in an expensive private jet when the country has no money? Even former President Robert Mugabe used to travel on Air Zimbabwe, yet the current President is using a $12 500 private jet,” Ncube said.
The minister responded by saying if Mnangagwa did not travel, then there would be no medicines coming into the country.
“The travels that the President was involved in are critical to engage the international community and only then will we have these medicines and other resources. The other week I travelled with the President to the United Arab Emirates and we were offered medicines which came in handy for Cyclone Idai.
“In order to have medicines in the health sector, it is critical for us to engage other nations. Currently, Air Zimbabwe cannot fly long haul aircraft as they are not fully functional and they can only fly domestic routes. Perhaps the call is that we need to resuscitate Air Zimbabwe, and we are working on it so that we can have more options for the President to fly. However, he has stuck to his travel budget very well,” the Finance minister said.
ides the ongoing distribution of household goods worth over $2,4 million which they have given to 1 000 households so far, Plan International was also assisting with food for the infants.
“We have been promoting exclusive breastfeeding for babies and the internationally recommended infant and young children feeding practices. We will provide supplementary feeding for households for two months until other long-term measures are put in place,” Mahumucha said.
