Vusumuzi DubeVusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE much-anticipated Gwayi-Shangani Dam project is fast approaching completion with Cabinet on Tuesday revealing that it is now at 66.2 percent completion.
This comes amid revelations that the contractor is now working on the dam wall with process of gazetting the dam as a lake is also in progress.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, the Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said all the 11 contractors for the Gwayi-Shangani pipeline were on site, with 68 kilometres of the 252 kilometres of the pipeline route already having been cleared. “Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is now at 66.2 percent completion. The contractor is now working on the dam wall. The process of gazetting the Gwayi-Shangani Dam as a lake is in progress. Excavations for the permanent access road commenced on 14 March 2022. The road will provide access to the mini-hydropower house.
“The nation is also informed that contracts for civil works for the pipeline were signed on 7 April 2022, and sites were handed over to 11 contractors. All the contractors are now on site, and 68 km of the 252 km of the pipeline route have been cleared, while 6 km have been excavated. The 220 Mega Litres per day Treatment Plant at Cowdray Park is at the tendering stage, with bids having closed on 10 June 2022,” said Dr Muswere.
He further revealed that once complete about 800megalitres of the treated water would be pumped directly to the 108 ML Magwegwe Clear Water Reservoir for onward distribution to the City of Bulawayo.
“Regarding hydro-power generation, the final design capacity of the plant is 10 megawatts The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) will finalise the designs of the mini-hydropower plant and the subsequent electricity evacuation infrastructure by end of this month.
“The power generated will be fed into the national grid and assist in achieving self-sufficiency in power generation as well as rural industrialisation for the benefit of local communities,” said Dr Muswere.
He said regarding irrigation development, Government has engaged chiefs in Lupane, Binga and Hwange.
He said the communities have understood the thrust of the projects and has generated a lot of interest among them.
“Both communal and commercial irrigation blocks have been identified. The process of identifying irrigation pumping points is now complete. The 200 hectare per district under the Vision 2030 accelerator model is receiving urgent priority, and the irrigation for Bulawayo peri-urban areas was discussed.
“The Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities is working on model rural homesteads designs, and the proposed design drawings, complete with costs will be produced by 1 July 2022. The homesteads will have modern ablution facilities. Valuations for compensation of households around the dam that need to be relocated have been completed,” he said.
Online Reporter