admin
the Zimbabwe National Water Authority on Monday told the Public Accounts Portfolio Committee the bulk of the water was being used by a sugar cane manufacturing company in the Lowveld.
The limited use of water was attributed to lack of or inadequate irrigation facilities in Zimbabwe.
“Zinwa is a very viable entity given the nature of what we do. Our primary function is to supply raw water and clear water, the bulk of the water goes to agriculture but we are disappointed by the uptake for that sector, it is very low indeed.
“Twenty-five percent is being utilised in the country and 20 percent goes to Tongaat Hullet in the Lowveld,” he said.
Added Mr Mhlanga: “Last week I was at Osborne Dam and it’s a sorry sight. The farmers are not using the water that we allocate them.”
Zinwa operations director Engineer Israel Rwodzi said most irrigation facilities had broken down.
“We have a lot of raw water and dams in the country but the pumps and conveyance systems for farmers are throttled to carry out any irrigation activities,” he said.
Full use of Zimbabwe’s irrigation capacity has been cited as a long- term solution to climate change.
Government says out of the 1 689 609 hectares that were put under maize in 2011/2012 season, 98 144 hectares were written off due to the dry spell experienced during the season.
Mr Mhlanga said the authority was owed US$88 million in unpaid bills by various consumers mostly farmers while others were connecting water illegally.
Meanwhile, the Zinwa officials were taken to task by the committee after it emerged that some dam construction projects were behind schedule after tenders were allocated to companies without capacity to carry out the tasks.
The committee’s chairperson, Mr Webber Chinyadza (Makoni West-MDC-T), led the criticism saying Zinwa had the capacity to select companies with the right profile.
“You as an institution should be able to certify that the person certified is able to do the job. Littered in this document are people with a history of not performing but they are awarded contracts.”
Mr Mhlanga said their duty as Zinwa was to make recommendations on appropriate companies while the State Procurement Board had the ultimate authority on who is awarded the tender.
Zinwa board chairman Mr Vavarirai Choga said the tender rules favoured indigenous companies most of whom had no capacity to carry out the projects.
“What happens with most indigenous contractors is that they bring equipment which two to three days down the line break down and they ask for down payment. Sometimes we pay but the problems goes on and we sometimes have to fire the contractors or ask them to subcontract,” he said.
Mr Choga said in some instances Zinwa has had to assist the contractors’ right through the completion of the project as they try to capacitate the indigenous companies.
Zinwa was established to provide treated water to growth points, rural district councils and for agricultural purposes.
In the past few years it has been hampered by inadequate resources with the board revealing that out of US$68 million allocated last year only US$900 000 had been released so far.
Online Reporter