Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
Evaluation of costs of relocation for villagers affected by the construction of Kunzvi Dam is now in motion while the Government is considering doubling shifts to include working at night to make up for lost time, as the Second Republic seeks to complete the project by December next year.
The US$109 million project, planned since the 1990s, is expected to augment Harare water supplies and provide a direct feed into the northern and eastern suburbs as well as provide irrigation water.
The project shows that the Government is walking the talk on transforming communities by turning the economy into an upper middle income economy by 2030 in line with the National Development Strategy 1.
At least 453 families have to be relocated, with 44 requiring urgent relocation to pave way for construction works to go unhindered and ensure the project is completed on time.
This comes as the Government, through the project manager Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) said they were mulling introducing night shifts to make up for lost time so as to timeously complete the project, Zinwa project resident engineer, Engineer Davison Madondo, said during a media tour of the project yesterday.
He said the contractor, Makomo Engineering, was adequately equipped for the project but some bottlenecks such as delays in relocation, among others, might result in the introduction of night shifts to avoid costs associated with failing to complete on time.
“It is mandatory that the contractor has to meet the target. As we move on and note that we have lost some time, we are going to write to the contractor so that he introduces night shifts so that we meet our targets,” said Eng Madondo.
“In the contract, there are some penalties that are against the contractor if he extends the time. “Besides, there are running costs that will be incurred, hence we have to complete on time.”
Eng Madondo said they were happy with the work being carried out by the contractor on the project, which he said was now 28 percent complete.
Turning to relocation, Eng Madondo said the 44 families have to be relocated from the basin they are settled while others would allow them to extract material for back-filing.
Eng Madondo said an evaluation exercise to determine the cost of relocation was now in motion, with preliminary works underway.
“The process will be done by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. Once that is done, it will be sent to Treasury to effect payment.
“There are also 20 graves that ought to be relocated. In terms of equipment, the contractor is well equipped.
“We have five excavators, but we are using three. But once the river level falls, all the five will be used.
“We have 25 tippers and four bulldozers. We just hope that the funding will go smoothly so that we meet our targets. The project will also see 10 percent of the water channelled to irrigation in terms of Government policy,” said Eng Madondo.
Villagers spoken to expressed excitement at the project, saying it will transform their lives.
Said Mrs Rosemary Dzvanga: “Our children have been employed, they are able to fend for their families. We are happy with the contractor; he has shown respect for us as the community.”
Another villager, Mrs Tambudzai Chipepe said they were encouraged by the prospects of irrigation for their vegetable gardens.
“We are happy with this project. Obviously, our communities will be transformed hugely. We feel indebted to the Government for all these developments that have also seen our children employed,” she said.
The project is poised to transform lives of local communities together with Harare, Chitungwiza and surrounding areas through provision of water.
Kunzvi Dam is situated on the confluence of the Nora and Nyagui rivers in Goromonzi and the contract includes the dam, treatment works and the pipeline.
Commencement of the works at the site put an end to a two decade wait for the Kunzvi Dam project, which had failed to take off under the previous political dispensation.
Prior to work on Kunzvi Dam, the contractor has built Muchekeranwa Dam in Mashonaland East Province, which was commissioned by President Mnangagwa last year.
It is also working on Semwa Dam in Rushinga.