By Correspondent
Government has allocated US$36 million to Kunzvi Dam and Gwayi-Shangani Dam under the 2026 budget in a move that keeps alive hopes for consistent potable water supplies.
A portion of that budget allocation is however also meant for borehole drilling in a clear admission that the road is long.
Government has struggled to complete the dams which have dragged for years.
Growing Positive News
However, with this new funding Kunzvi is to impact the capital very soon.
The dam has began impounding water while completion of the Kunzvi-Harare pipeline is expected complete soon.
The Kunzvi-Harare pipeline will convey water from Kunzvi Dam to the capital.
This will mark a significant step towards ending Harare’s crippling water shortages that have persisted for more than two decades.
The 48-kilometre pipeline will channel raw water from Kunzvi to a treatment plant set to be developed at Donnybrook in eastern Harare.
Once complete, it will convey up to 240 megalitres of water daily.
Current daily supplies average 400 megalitres, against a demand of about 800 megalitres.
Permanent Secretary for Lands Obert Jiri gave the construction update at a recent ceremony.
“The dam has now started impounding water.
“(It) means that all the people in the vicinity of the dam are now at risk of flooding.
“As we continue building dams, we have a dam as an economic concept that we are now following.
The Plight of Gwayi-Shangani Dam
However, the situation is drastically different with the Gwayi-Shangani Dam.
Despite being 72% complete it has gained by a mere 2% sinc2 October 2024.
This has led to complaints about slow progress from observers.
The Dam, a major component of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, has faced multiple setbacks and missed several deadlines.
In 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa pledged to do everything in his ability to ensure the project is completed by the end of 2019.
In 2019, the dam missed the deadline due to delays and budget constraints, and it was pushed to 2022.
After missing the 2022 deadline, the completion date was further pushed to the end of 2023.
The government shifted the dam’s deadline multiple times, with the most recent target set for completion by the 2023/2024 summer cropping season.
Impact of Gwayi
Once completed, the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is expected to significantly alleviate Bulawayo’s water shortage.
The project includes a 252km pipeline to Bulawayo and a 122km pipeline from the Zambezi River.
