Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The Mayor of Bulawayo, David Coltart says the funds allocated to the construction of dams in the 2024 National Budget are inadequate.
Mthuli Ncube, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion, allocated ZWL$389 towards dam construction projects in the country. Said Ncube:
Under the 2024 National Budget overall support towards dam dam construction projects amounts to Z$389 billion with priority being on the completion of the Gwayi-Shangani dam and pipeline with the dam now at the advanced stage of completion.
Other targetted dams include Kunzvi Dam with the associated treatment plant and conveyancing pipeline, Ziminya, Tulu-Manyange, Bindura, Semwa, Silverstroom and Vungu dams.
However, Coltart said the total amount allocated to dam construction is less than a quarter of the amount needed for the Gwaai-Shangani to Bulawayo pipeline alone. He said:
Professor Ncube states that a total of ZWL$369 billion has been allocated for the construction of ALL dams and pipelines in Zimbabwe next year.
He states that his priority is “the completion of the Gwaai Shangani dam and pipeline.”
ZWL$369 billion equates to US$67 million. The Gwaai Shangani to Bulawayo pipeline alone is expected to cost a minimum of US$400 million.
Accordingly, if every single cent of this budget allocation is applied to the pipeline alone it will still take almost 6 years to complete at this rate.
Obviously, it will be much longer than this because the Z$369 billion is the total applied for all dam projects.
Bulawayo simply cannot wait another decade or more. Our engineers insist that our short-term water needs are best served by duplicating the pipelines from the Insiza and Mtshabezi dams to Ncema purification works and building the Glassblock Dam (which will cost about half the cost of the Gwaai Shangani/Bulawayo pipeline.)
I implore the central Government to take what our engineers say seriously. We cannot afford to allow Bulawayo to run out of water when we have water supplies right on our doorstep.
The City of Bulawayo has been grappling with water shortages for decades as its supply dams cannot provide enough water for the city throughout the year.
The city depends on six supply dams, Insiza, Inyankuni, Lower Ncema, Upper Ncema, Umzingwane, and Mtshabezi which are all located in Matabeleland South Province.
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