Cabinet has approved principles for amendments to the Water Act and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) Act, reforms aimed at improving water governance, strengthening accountability and aligning the country’s water laws with constitutional and development objectives.
Briefing the Cabinet, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Soda Zhemu said Cabinet considered principles for the amendment of the Water Act as presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Dr Anxious Masuka.
Zhemu said the proposed amendments to the Water Act were necessitated by the need to modernise the legislation and ensure it responds to current developmental needs.
“The principles have been necessitated by the need to realign the Water Act to the Constitution and to update the Act such that it becomes relevant to the current development agenda, as water is essential for developing all sectors of the economy,” said Zhemu.
Cabinet noted that growing demands on water resources require stronger measures to ensure fair distribution and sustainable management of the resource.
“The judicious management and equitable allocation of water, while preserving every water source for the benefit of future generations, has become an imperative,” Cabinet said.
The proposed amendments seek to broaden the scope of the Water Act beyond resource management by incorporating constitutional requirements, economic development priorities and environmental sustainability considerations.
“The amendments are designed to transform the Water Act from primarily a resource-management law into a more comprehensive legal framework that integrates constitutional imperatives, economic considerations, environmental sustainability, institutional accountability and stronger regulatory oversight,” he said.
Government believes the changes will strengthen the country’s ability to manage water resources effectively while ensuring that communities, industries and agricultural producers have access to water in a manner that supports national development.
Meanwhile, Cabinet also noted and approved principles for the amendment of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority Act.
The proposed amendments seek to improve corporate governance within ZINWA and align the authority’s operations with existing legal and policy frameworks.
According to Cabinet, “the principles for the amendment of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority Act [Chapter 20:25] seek to engender sound corporate governance principles in line with policy, legal and constitutional developments.”
A major aspect of the proposed reforms involves separating ZINWA’s regulatory and service delivery functions.
Cabinet said the amendments “will specifically entail the streamlining of ZINWA’s dual and conflicting roles of regulator and service provider.”
Under the proposed framework, ZINWA will cease to be the regulator of the sector, with that responsibility being transferred to the Ministry responsible for water resources.
“The regulatory function will be removed and transferred to the Ministry, with ZINWA evolving into a pure service providing agent of Government, in line with the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31],” Cabinet said.
The reforms are expected to enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in the management of water resources while ensuring that institutional roles are clearly defined.
The proposed amendments to both Acts now pave the way for legislative changes that Government says will strengthen water governance and support Zimbabwe’s broader economic and sustainable development goals.
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