By Wisdom Mumera
Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has warned of an impeding water crisis if government fails to honour its US$14m pledge.
The 2024 budget promised to allocate Z$369 billion for the construction of all dams and pipelines.
From that allocation around US$14 million would be channelled towards Bulawayo.
This is despite the city actually requiring over US$400 million.
Still, not all the money has been forthcoming leading to warnings from Coltart.
“Thanks to an injection of money from Government we are now in the process of upgrading pumps at Umzingwane and Inyankuni.
“However I appealed to Government to release the balance of the US$ 14 million promised by Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube.
“It is required for the critical upgrade of the Mtshabezi and Insiza pipelines.
Coltart says Umzingwane is currently 2% full and has been decommissioned.
Meanwhile, Inyankuni is at 22% and will also be decommissioned the city fails to get enough rains this season.
Given this, the Mayor says upgraded pumps have no water to pump from Umzingwane and a little water from Inyankuni.
“Because of this it is vital that we upgrade as a matter of urgency both the Insiza and Mtshabezi pipelines.
“These dams are 43% and 53% full respectively at present and are the City of Bulawayo lifelines.
“But at present we are unable to receive adequate quantities of water from those dams because of deficiencies in their pipelines.
Coltart added that without government funding to work on the pipelines Bulawayo will soon face a catastrophe.
