Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Michael Padera
4 April 2009
Nairobi — NATIONAL Housing and Social Amenities Minister Fidelis Mhashu and members of the Zimbabwe delegation attending the 22nd session of the UN-Habitat Governing Council on Tuesday met the United Nations housing agency's executive secretary Ms Anna Tibaijuka to discuss funding and capacity building issues.
Minister Mhashu described the meeting as fruitful, saying Ms Tibaijuka had promised to assist Zimbabwe in its requests.
"We raised issues of assistance in identifying and facilitating funding institutions that can assist Zimbabwe with resources and technical expertise," he said.
Zimbabwe is part of the 58 UN-Habitat member states and sits in the UN agency's Governing Council which meets every two years to examine the activities of UN-Habitat and to work out a programme and budget for the next two years and also deliberate on the theme of the biennial conference.
Delegations can meet bilateral and multilateral organisations on the sidelines of the meeting to discuss country-specific issues.
Minister Mhashu said the delegation asked Ms Tibaijuka to assist Zimbabwe with technical expertise to help in the reviewing of the country's national housing delivery and social amenities policies. He said he also requested for assistance in revamping the country's water and sanitation infrastructure. The delegation also met with Nigeria's Minister of Works, Housing and Urban Development Mrs Grace Ekpiwhre, who is also the chairperson of the Africa Ministers of Housing.
"We discussed and exchanged information on issues of technical expertise and exchange visits to observe housing programmes in each of our countries," he said.
Earlier, Minister Mhashu and his delegation had visited Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, where efforts by the Kenyan government to upgrade the Nairobi shanty settlement were explained. The process involves persuading the slum dwellers to move to organised settlements where basic services such as water and sanitation are provided.
The Zimbabwe delegation includes Secretary for National Housing and Social Amenities Mr David Munyoro, director of housing in the ministry Mr Special Sibanda, Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Kenya Mr Kelebert Nkomani, Harare mayor Mr Muchadeyi Masunda and president of the Zimbabwe Local Government Association Mr Nimrod Chiminya.
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