admin
Business Reporter
PAN-African banking group BancABC has extended an $8 million loan to the Bulawayo City Council for financing waste water management.
The council’s finance and development committee chairperson, James Sithole, said the funding would be channelled towards refurbishment of the city’s ageing sewer infrastructure.
“In order to fund infrastructure development, it was necessary for this committee to seek approval for borrowing powers amounting to $13,2 million for the city’s growth.
“In that regard, BancABC has since extended an $8 million loan for waste water management,” said Sithole in a latest council report.
He said the drawdown has started as council moves to repair the dilapidated sewer infrastructure.
Sithole said the refurbishment exercise covers sewer pump stations and replacement of old sewer lines.
The bulk of the city’s water and sewer infrastructure has outlived its lifespan resulting in leakages and pipe bursts.
The local authority is also working closely with non-governmental organisations which have been instrumental in supporting water supply and sanitation projects.
Meanwhile, the council has said it is working on the Epping Forest project and refurbishment of existing Nyamandlovu boreholes as part of measures to augment its water supplies.
It is estimated the Epping Forest project will supply an additional 10 megalitres of water per day with total cost pegged at about $4 million.
Only 19 out of 77 boreholes at Nyamandlovu are operational while Zinwa is working on rehabilitating 20 of which 10 have been pump-tested and are currently under service, said council.
Bulawayo draws its water from five major supply dams — Inyankuni, Mtshabezi, Insiza, Lower and Upper Ncema dams.
Online Reporter