Source: Community Water Alliance
Introduction
The Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development presented to the Parliament of Zimbabwe a National 2017 Budget on 08 December 2016. Policy measures and interventions of the budget seek to ensure realization of the overall objectives of Government economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIM-ASSET) programs and projects covering the period 2013-2018. Further to the realization of ZIM-ASSET programs and projects, the budget acts as an instrument of accountability and fiscal transparency and strengthens social safety nets in support of vulnerable groups. Pre-budget consultation meetings had also spelt out the importance of domestic resource mobilization (especially the Parliament of Zimbabwe Pre-budget seminar) and the budget benefitted also from the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2016-2018 whose outcome clearly spelt out the need to increase production across all sectors of the economy. The Minister of Finance and Economic Development Honorable Patrick A. Chinamasa “welcomed feedback on the new Budget presentation arrangements, including the simplified, streamlined and policy orientation thrust of the Budget Statement, targeted at strengthening transparency and policy engagement with stakeholders” (The 2017 National Budget Statement, Page 8). On January 2017, the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing invited Community Water Alliance to submit its feedback on the 2017 National Budget. It is these two invitations from the above mentioned ministries and the views gathered by the Alliance from its membership coupled by the need to build advocacy on sustainable access to available acceptable potable water and raw water as well as protection of the environment that legitimize this submission. Community Water Alliance view percentage national budget allocation on water as an expression of commitment to the realization of human right to water enshrined in Section 77(a) of Constitution Amendment 20.
Framework Guiding the Analysis
The policy orientation thrust informing this analysis is the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on access to water by all, the Global Expanded Water Monitoring Initiative targets as well as the Human Rights Based Approach to development framework.
In 2014 UN agencies and partners working under the UN-Water umbrella developed indicators to measure progress towards achievement of Goal 6 as well as the roadmap for implementation with relevant monitoring mechanisms. The initiative is referred to as the Global Expanded Water Monitoring Initiative (GEMI). The indicators developed include proportion of people with access to safely managed drinking water services, proportion of people with access to safely managed sanitation services, water quality index, water efficiency index, natural water capital index, Integrated Water Resource Management implementation index, and wetland extent. The sustainability component envisaged in SDG 6 demonstrate approaches to using “portfolio” of natural water infrastructure to achieve better outcomes for the multiple goals of poverty reduction, food water energy security, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. The fact that the 2017 National Budget was framed based on the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, a Government of Zimbabwe economic blueprint that is aimed mainly at achieving economic vitality, means that the context of the enhancement and preservation of ecological integrity, social well-being and security in the water sector as envisaged in Sustainable Development Goals policy thrust will be neglected.
The Government of Zimbabwe has obligations which are clearly defined in Constitution Amendment 20. Section 44 states that “the state and every person, including juristic persons, and every institution and agency of government at every level must respect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights and freedoms set out” in Chapter 4. Section 46(c) set the tone for interpretation of bill of rights stating that a court, tribunal, forum or body “must take into account international law and all treaties and conventions to which Zimbabwe is a party”. Section 77(a) accords every person the right to safe, clean and potable water. The Government of Zimbabwe signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights General Comment 15 which “entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses”. Budget allocation on potable water provision demonstrates the extent to which government is committed to fulfill its duty and also to achieve progressive realization of the human right to water. The budget also demonstrates the financial resources commitment for the State to take “reasonable legislative and other measures” which speaks to policy orientation thrust and structural reforms.
Assessment of Allocations on Water Service Delivery
Allocations in the water sector can be traced to relevant ZIM-ASSET clusters particularly the Infrastructure and Utilities cluster and the Social Services cluster. The Infrastructure and Utility cluster is mainly funded through loans and public-private partnerships. Financial contributions therefore in this area are mainly loans for dams’ construction as well as partnerships with private companies who will be looking for business opportunities. The budget proposed US$16,4 million towards water and sanitation programs, of which US$10,4 million target both urban and rural Local Authorities whilst US$6 million caters for Zimbabwe National Water Authority and the District Development Fund. Development Partners have been referenced as actors complementing government efforts. These include ZimFund Phase II, African Development Bank, World Bank and Unicef. The commitment to water and sanitation by government therefore stands at 0,4% of the total budget. Challenges on potable water provision faced by Local Authorities in Zimbabwe cannot be addressed by this paltry allocation. Since independence the government has been allocating approximately 1,2% of the total national budget to water and sanitation.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The budget allocation on water presents serious challenges on the progressive realization and the obligation to fulfill the human right to water. Water borne diseases are likely to worsen within Local Authorities suburbs. The policy orientation thrust on water in Zimbabwe is still anchored on Millennium Development Goals at the expense of the component of sustainability that defines Sustainable Development Goals.
Community Water Alliance therefore recommends the following:
- Prioritization of potable water provision demonstrated through a meaningful national budget allocation to water service delivery by government.
- The policy orientation thrust on water should make use of the “portfolio” of natural water infrastructure to achieve better outcomes for the multiple goals of poverty reduction, food water energy security, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
- Use of the Human Rights-based Approach to development in the water sector.
Source: Community Water Alliance