Gwanda Rural District Council (RDC) has been selected to pilot a government-funded mobile water treatment plant as part of a national effort to address potable water shortages and curb waterborne diseases. The decision, contained in recent council meeting minutes, was communicated by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. The ministry said the government, working through the Civil Protection Unit and other agencies, had approved the intervention and provided full funding for the equipment.
The mobile treatment plant will be supplied and commissioned by Connect Water (Pvt) Ltd at no cost to the council. According to the directive, Gwanda RDC has been instructed to ensure the pilot is implemented properly to generate reliable data that could inform a possible national rollout. The ministry also directed the council to accept delivery of the plant at a designated site and ensure its safekeeping until commissioning is completed.
To assess its effectiveness, the council has been told to test the system under different raw water conditions over several days, working with Connect Water until potable water is produced. A detailed report on the testing process is to be submitted to the permanent secretary and the Department of Civil Protection. Council minutes show that councillors were not given an opportunity to debate the matter, with council chairperson Mphathiswa Ncube indicating that the item had been presented for information only.
