Chirumanzu RDC drills 11 boreholes

Courtney Matende Midlands Reporter
Chirumanzu Rural District Council (RDC) is drilling 11 boreholes across the district to provide clean water to villagers as part of devolution exercise.

Chirumanzu RDC chief executive Mr Lovemore Chatikobo confirmed the development, saying the contractor had been paid to start the work.

“We have already paid the contractor to drill 11 boreholes in Chirumanzu District to provide villagers with clean water. The boreholes will be sunk in areas which are facing critical water shortages.

“We are doing this using Government devolution funds as we aim at improve service delivery to the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zvishavane Town Council’s plans to resuscitate Runde water pump station, which is expected to add more than 12 000 megalitres of water into the system, are now at an advanced stage.

In an interview recently, Zvishavane Mayor Councillor Khulekani Ndlovu said an agreement to use the pump station has been reached with its owners Shabani Mashava Mines.

“Our plans are in motion to resuscitate Runde water pump station, we expect to add more than 12 000 megalitres of water into the system and an agreement with Shabani Mashava Mines has been made to use the pump station,” he said.

He said the council and partners in the project have engaged consultants to draw plans for the work. Clr Ndlovu said some residential areas in the town are not receiving water due pumping challenges

“Some residential areas in the town still do not receive water owing to pumping challenges,” he said.

Zvishavane is one of the many municipalities such as Gweru, Harare and Bulawayo which are struggling to meet the demand for water due to pumping and treatment deficiencies. The local authority last month said it is engaging Shabani Mashava Mines to write off a $14 million debt in exchange for the use of Runde pump station in order to increase water supply in the mining town.