Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has pledged to ensure that all residents of the island have access to clean and safe water. Speaking at a reception where he was presented with the VIP Global Water Changemakers Award, Mwinyi promised to work towards benefiting Tanzania and Zanzibar from water sector investments in Africa. He revealed that the country is undergoing sweeping reforms in the water sector.
The award was presented to Mwinyi by Dr Jakaya Kikwete, former Union President and Chairman of the Global Water Partnership for Southern Africa and Africa Coordination Unit. The Tanzanian leaders were among the other award’srecipients: Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, Namibian President Hage Geingob, Senegalese President and Chairman of the African Union MackySall, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Tanzania to Benefit from Water Investment Program
Kikwete challenged Zanzibar to use the award as a catalyst to lead in the implementation of the water investment programme, the basis on which Mwinyi was awarded. “I promise to accord you all the necessary cooperation; I will try my level best to ensure Zanzibar and Tanzania in general benefit from investments in the water sector of Africa,” the former union leader said.
Joseph Kilangi, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals, commended President Mwinyi, noting that he has accomplished more in his two years in office than the country had accomplished for over five decades after the 1964 revolutions. The Tanzanian leader was among other recipients of the award, such as Senegalese President and Chairman of the African Union MackySall, Namibian President Hage Geingob, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.
The VIP Global Water Changemakers Award was presented at the launch of the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, whose task is to mobilise $30 billion annually by 2030 to achieve the sixth Sustainable Development Goal on the availability of safe drinking water and decent sanitation for all. The international high-level panel seeks to develop actionable pathways for execution of Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) and closing the existing water investment gap in Africa. It is estimated that about $50 billion is required annually to achieve water security and sustainable sanitation in Africa by 2030.
