‘Resilient strategies to curb urban poverty vital’

FINANCE and Economic Development minister Patrick Chinamasa has expressed concern at the increasing levels of urban poverty as the country continues to reel under a difficult economic environment.

In a speech read on his behalf at a recent joint Unicef and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Institute of Environmental Studies-organised conference on strategies to promote resilient urban communities, Chinamasa said about half of urban dwellers were living below the Poverty Datum Line.

“Companies continue to close down, unemployment levels are high, infrastructure is deteriorating and services such as water and waste disposal are struggling to cope with increased urban populations,” he said, adding that a third of the population now lived in urban areas.

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