Source: Govt commits to accelerate Lake Gwayi-Shangani construction – herald
Vusumuzi Dube in GWAYI
VICE PRESIDENT Dr Constantino Chiwenga has described the Lake Gwayi-Shangani construction project as an “emotional” issue which the Second Republic holds close to its heart and is determined to ensure its completion as a matter of urgency.
He was speaking during a tour of the project in Matabeleland North Province where he noted significant progress achieved to date but stressed the need to increase the pace and ensure that it is completed well ahead of the revised November 2026 target that has been set by the engineers.
“You’re all aware that this project historically was first mooted in 1912 when the colonial regime was still here but nothing really took place. Hundred years down the line this project had to be resuscitated.
“The coming in of the Second Republic saw the need for this project,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Yes there was the initiative which was taken by the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, we give them credit, they raised the dam wall to 12 metres and the Government took it from there to where it is today.
“With the progress of two metres a month, we want the maximum of four metres a month, there is nothing which can stop it so that we do away with this project and complete it,” he added.
“This is a major project that has to be completed because it is an emotional project and secondly it is a top priority project for our second metropolitan city Bulawayo,” said VP Chiwenga.
He noted that once completed, the project will not only benefit Bulawayo but the entire Matabeleland region.
“This project is for the betterment of the Matabeleland region because once the water gets to Bulawayo the dams that have been feeding water to the city will be released and they start providing water to Matabeleland South and that is a very fertile agricultural area,” said the Vice President.
“As the water goes to Bulawayo there will be five pumping stations that will be created along the pipeline which will see each having 200 hectares irrigated land, that will give us a total of 1 000 hectares which is a major development but we must fully utilise the entire 10 000 hectares and build reservoirs so that when we have flash floods we just direct the water to our reservoirs.”
VP Chiwenga emphasised the need to double efforts in the completion of the project saying it was possible to complete it well before the November 2026 projected timeline.
“If we double our wall construction to the maximum of four metres a day we will make sure that we finish this project well before the projected November deadline.
“I will actually be happy if we do it before the hot season next year because right now we are saying we are effectively operating during the night shift because of this hot weather.
“I want all of us to now work earnestly together and have a Whole of Government Approach, we will be talking to the Ministry of Finance to get their priorities right in this particular project,” he said.
“This is the first dam to have been constructed by the Second Republic, all the other dams we were concentrating on putting dam walls and I believe this is the way to go.”
The dam is now 73 percent complete following renewed Government funding for the flagship national project. The wall has reached 43 metres and will stand at 72 metres once fully completed.
Lake Gwayi-Shangani project manager Engineer Paul Dengu said they were constructing two metres of the dam wall a month and that with more funding they have the capacity to meet four metres a month.
“Of what is left, we are confident that we will have completed all the construction works by November 2026. We have done 50 percent of the 10 megawatts power station and we want to get it off the river so that the rains don’t affect them,” he said.
“As for the dam, we will continue working with two metres per month, we agreed with the Finance Ministry to accommodate us with that but we can achieve more if we get more money as we have the capacity to do four metres a month,” said Eng Dengu.
Lake Gwayi-Shangani forms the first phase of the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP) which also includes a 252-kilometre pipeline to Bulawayo and a 122-kilometre pipeline linking the dam to the Zambezi River. The tour was part of the Vice President’s familiarisation tour of key economic projects in Matabeleland North Province which began on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo and the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Raj Modi.
Over the past three days the Vice President has visited Hwange Colliery, Zhong Jing Heli Energy power station, Bhulaayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme and the Kamativi Mining Company.
The post Govt commits to accelerate Lake Gwayi-Shangani construction appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.