Watch: President Nyusi inaugurates Morrumbene water system – Mozambique

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Watch: President Nyusi inaugurates Morrumbene water system – Mozambique

6:58 CAT | 11 Jul 2017

SStpoMoz Twitter / President Nyusi said that, now that the water problem is solved, attention will now turn to opening factories and restoring the water supply to schools and hospitals in the area.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Saturday inaugurated a new water supply system in the town of Morrumbene, in the southern province of Inhambane.

The work, budgeted at around 150 million meticais (about 2.4 million US dollars, at current exchange rates), will eventually supply 36,719 people with potable water through a network of pipes covering 56 kilometres. Currently, 7,500 people are receiving the new supply of water, and later this year this will increase to 15,000. However, Morrumbene district has 152,517 inhabitants, of whom sixty per cent live in the town.

The work is part of the AGUASANI project, which is an initiative of the Mozambican government supported by the European Union and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). AGUASANI, which was launched in 2008, seeks to overcome the lack of water supply and sanitation services in the towns of Morrumbene, Homoine and Jangamo.

Speaking moments after he inaugurated the waters supply system, President Nyusi said that it will resolve some of the problems faced by residents. He explained “nobody doesn’t need water: to drink, to cook, and for day to day use”.

President Nyusi praised the contractor for delivering the works on schedule. However, he stressed that residents should pay their water bills so that funds are available for maintaining the infrastructure.

The President pointed out that solving one problem always brings another to the fore. Therefore, attention will now turn to opening factories and restoring the water supply to schools and hospitals.

The deputy representative of UNICEF in Mozambique, Michael Le Pechoux, said the inauguration of the water supply system is “a miracle for the people of Morrumbene”. He stressed “water and sanitation has a fundamental role. The water will be distributed to schools, health centres, and markets, and will make a huge difference to the standard of living”. He added that the project will also have a positive impact on nutritional levels, an issue which is “a large problem in the country”.

The representative of the European Union, Jose Monfort, added that the AGUASANI programme also stresses the importance of improved sanitation in houses, hospitals, and schools.

The total budget for AGUASANI, covering the three towns, is 10 million euros, with UNICEF donating one million euros and the European Union providing the remaining amount.