Story by Tendai Munengwa
THE African Ministers Council on Water has urged member states to scale up investment in water and sanitation to strengthen resource management, governance and water security across the continent.
The call comes as delegates from across Africa convene in Harare to deliberate on a sub-regional plan for 2026–2033, which will feed into the African Union Water Vision under Agenda 2063.
Access to water and sanitation is recognised by the United Nations as a fundamental human right, critical to health, dignity and socio-economic development.
Speaking during the consultations, Chief Director for Water, Irrigation Development and Sanitation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Engineer Tinaishe Mutazu, stressed the need for a practical and results-driven framework.
“Remember that our deliberations are anchored in the African Union theme 2026, Assuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve Goal of Agenda 2063. I want to emphasise that this plan must be real, implementable and accountable; we therefore need to achieve measurable outcomes. Zimbabwe, as host, is fully committed to ensuring that the 2026-2033 is properly drafted, and our regional priorities are taken into consideration. If we succeed, we will establish a strong foundation for water and sanitation for our region and beyond,” he said.
Representatives from the Southern African Development Community, the African Union Commission and AMCOW pledged to contribute actionable strategies towards the successful implementation of the plan.
African Union representative Mr Harsen Nyambe highlighted the centrality of water to development, urging policymakers to prioritise vulnerable communities.
“Water is the foundation of our socio-economic development. We need to put our people first when we address water and sanitation issues our people in the rural area must be provided with access to – so this should be our priority- Every institution requires a health workforce, we need to address the issues of drought but I feel floods should not be considered a problem let us turn floods into opportunities for development,” he said.
SADC representative Dr Patrice Kabeya emphasised the need for large-scale investment and improved governance systems.
“Our priorities must focus on transboundary water management and governance, water infrastructure development to make sure that availability of water to vulnerable communities is addressed, so there is need for big investments in water and sanitation issues our if our continent is to achieve Agenda 2063 to ensure water is available for human, natural and economic development,” he said.
The meeting comes amid growing concern over water insecurity on the continent, with more than 400 million people lacking access to reliable water services, while over US$30 billion is required to address the deficit.
