Zimbabwe has for the past decade faced political, social and economic turmoil that has seen the collapse of institutions, infrastructure, poor quality of life, reduced life expectancy, breakdown in health care systems etc. In fact there has been a spin ball effect one thing affecting the other and so on. From our WASH perspective we have seen the collapse of water and sanitation services, suburbs going on for days without water and similarly in urban centres without access to sanitation services. The gains that were achieved in the 1990s have in fact been significantly reduced. The cholera outbreak is attributed in part to this breakdown. Of course there are other issues often not highlighted such as the absence of extension health workers to enforce public health and to facilitate hygiene promotion.

One of the most dangerous and often not talked about effects are the total collapse of values and standards. At one stage there were standards in the country observed and enforced by the public, the local authorities, the ministries and different bodies mandated with such care. It was unacceptable to see sewerage running across the streets, it was unacceptable to go without water in the urban centre for even an hour, it was totally abhorrent to see piles of garbage in the streets. Telephones will ring, letters would fly and this day of cell phones SMS messages will clog the system. What I find most frightening is the quick

WASH services in the new Zimbabwe should therefore not only focus on the easy technical solutions but on social mobilization, hygiene, public health awareness and just inculcating acceptable minimum standards. Having lived through emergency situations people are forgetting what their right in respect to water and sanitation is. They are now used to adapting and changing goal posts and as a popular saying goes “something can be worked out”. In the new Zimbabwe we hope the something that will be worked out will be in the interest of improved WASH through both technical and software solutions.

adaptation to unacceptable environmental situations and social behaviors. Socialization is a process that evolves over time and will not have a quick fix solution.

The political agenda is being resolved and opposing parties have signed the agreements, handshakes made, new cabinet appointments crafted and appointees sworn in. This is relatively simple. Next step will be the rehabilitation of infrastructure, building new structures and again this is possible depending on the viability of capital and skills. What will take time to build are acceptable WASH standards and values.

Children born in situations of urban slums, with sewerage flowing and piles of wastes as play ground will not see anything wrong and will not place importance in changing their situation.