Zimbabwe is set to explore privatization as five companies vie for the chance to take over its beleaguered urban water supply system.
The government is actively seeking investment to rejuvenate the infrastructure, particularly in major cities like Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe confirmed that the administration has received approval to privatize water provision and is now calling on private sector players to submit their proposals.
Minister Garwe highlighted the need for investors with the expertise to engineer, procure, construct, manage, and finance the water supply network.
So far, five companies have expressed interest in the initiative, including three international firms and two local ones, although their identities have yet to be disclosed.
“We were given greenlight to privatise, we are now in the process of inviting the private sector players, both local and international, to bring proposals of interest,” Garwe said.
“We want somebody with the capacity to engineer, procure, construct, manage and finance. So far, we have received five, three from international players and two from local players.
“It’s work in progress and we are hoping by the end of next week, we will have interviewed them and identified the suitable candidates.”
The move to privatise the water supply system comes as Zimbabwe’s urban water supply has struggled to provide a constant supply of potable water to ratepayers for over two decades.
