adminMZWP project seeks to end perennial water shortages affecting Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo, by bringing water from the mighty Zambezi River.
Addressing delegates attending the Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA) second biennial annual conference in Victoria Falls on Friday, Minister Sipepa Nkomo said people to be displaced by the project will be compensated and modalities were being worked out.
“As the Government we are going to compensate all the people affected by the project,” he said.
Minister Sipepa Nkomo said $8million was allocated to the project in the 2012 National budget presented last week by Finance Minister Tendai Biti.
The Minister also said the construction of the Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam in Masvingo was under way and would be commissioned in 2013.
“We are impressed with the work on site and we hope that it will be completed by December 2012. But the date for the commissioning has been put forward to April 2013 so that we give the people of
Masvingo a special Independence celebrations present,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Government and Kunzvi Water Development Co-operation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that gives the latter a green light to start the construction of the much awaited Kunzvi Dam in Goromonzi.
The project seeks to end the perennial water shortages for Harare and its satellite towns especially Chitungwiza and Norton.
The Kunzvi Dam site is located 67km north east of Harare near Juru Growth Point damming the Nyaguwi River.
The MoU was signed by the Ministers of Water Resources Development and Management and Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Sipepa Nkomo and Ignatius Chombo and representatives of KWDC in Victoria Falls yesterday.
Also present at the ceremony were council chairpersons and representatives of Ruwa, Epworth among other beneficiaries of the project.
In an interview after the signing ceremony, Minister Sipepa Nkomo said KWDC — a consortium of companies — would be tasked with the construction of Kunzvi Dam and its associated waterworks and pipeline.
Minister Sipepa Nkomo said they were looking at an initial budget of more than $300 million for the project.
Said Minister Sipepa Nkomo: “Today marks a great day towards the alleviation of water shortages in Harare and its satellite towns. The signing ceremony means that the contractor can start working on the project.”
“The Government concluded the Public-Private Partnership last December with a consortium of local, regional and international companies to construct the dam, which should ease Harare’s water shortages.”
He noted that Kunzvi Water Development Corporation was established to implement the project under a Build-Operate-Transfer arrangement.
The corporation includes Government, Locan Holdings, Swede Water Limited, Okada Group from Nigeria and Vince Group of France.
Bigen Africa Consulting Engineers, BKS Group and Dycon from South Africa are the technical partners.
The engineering and financial advisory team consists of CBZ Bank Limited, Brian Colquhoun, SDP Africa, Deloitte and Finesse Financial Services.
Minister Sipepa Nkomo said the whole project involved construction of the dam, the pump stations, reservoirs, water treatment works, conveyance and connections to the existing City of Harare network.
Minister Chombo said he was happy that the project was taking off and they had set up a co-ordinating committee to address issues concerning the project.
He also said the Government was satisfied with the capacity of the dam.
“This is a good move and as the Government we will do everything in our power to see it completed. We will be working with the local authorities also,” said Minister Chombo.
When complete, the dam will have a capacity of 158,4 million cubic metres and supply 250 000 cubic metres of water daily.
With the Kunzvi works operational, Harare municipality will be able to supply up to 700 000 cubic metres of water a day.
Online Reporter
Bongani Moyo