Mukudzei Chingwere in Jakarta, Indonesia
Zimbabwe is seeking to benchmark its provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to global best practices and a high-powered ministerial delegation is in Jakarta, Indonesia for the Sector Ministers Meeting which begins on Wednesday.
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga is leading Zimbabwe's delegation into the meeting which is also comprised of Minister Anxious Masuka of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
Also present is the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works as well as the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development at a meeting which was confirmed attendance by over 70 sector Ministers across the globe.
The meeting is expected to discuss and share notes on establishing sustainable ways for climate resilient water and sanitation systems which strengthen economies, help prevent future pandemics and reduce the negative impacts of climate change.
This with a view to foster the best global practice in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene.
Clean water provision to the populace, sanitation and hygiene are key components to any thriving economy and Zimbabwe which is driving towards an upper middle income society by 2030 is prioritising WASH best international practices.
Speaking to the media at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after his arrival in Jakarta Indonesia yesterday, Vice President Chiwenga said Zimbabwe will compare notes with other countries.
"We have been observing water, sanitation and hygiene, even when the President introduced the Friday clean-up operations after we had the cholera outbreak in Budiriro.
"At this conference there are going to be a number of countries which are going to be involved."
He said, "with these countries coming together to share ideas and experience we had in our different countries.
"From there we will be able to improve the sanitation in our country.
"This is why we are a big delegation which involves all the ministries which deal with water, sanitation and hygiene issues," said VP Chiwenga.
Zimbabwe has already taken the lead in sanitation issues following the declaration by President Mnangagwa that the first Friday of every month be a national clean-up day as a way of encouraging cleanliness among communities and work places.
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The Government is also on a massive dam construction and rehabilitation drive like the Gwayi-Shangani project among others.
The Gwayi-Shangani project is aimed at providing water especially for the people of Bulawayo metropolitan province which has over the years been dogged by persistent water challenges and successive opposition municipalities had failed to address the situation leading to government intervention.
VP Chiwenga arrived in the company of Minister Masuka and other senior Government officials.
They were welcomed at the airport by Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Indonesia, Sophia Nyamudeza, Indonesia' Josaphat Primana, the Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and the host country's Secretary of the Directorate General for Asia Pacific and African Affairs, Trisari Paramita.
Also present was, Dewa Sastrawan, Indonesian Ambassador to Zimbabwe who is back in his country on a brief official return.
After hosting the WASH ministers meeting, Indonesia will host another major international summit - G20 - later this year, the 2022 G20 Bali summit is the upcoming 17th meeting of Group Twenty.
This follows Indonesia's assumption of presidency for the group last year, their presidency is for one year from December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022.
