Online Reporter
George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
Investor interest is growing in the ambitious Runde-Tende Dam project, with several financial institutions from Zimbabwe and South Africa expressing willingness to fund the mega water infrastructure project.
On completion, the dam will become Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body and a cornerstone of the country’s agricultural and export growth strategy.
The Government has stepped up efforts to kick-start construction of the dam, which will be located at the confluence of the Runde and Tende rivers in southern Chivi District.
The dam will surpass Tugwi-Mukosi in scale, with experts estimating that it will be nearly twice as large as the current record-holder, which has a storage capacity of 1,8 billion cubic metres.
The Runde-Tende Dam has long been part of the Lowveld Integrated Irrigation Development Masterplan, which envisions the creation of a 200 000-hectare greenbelt across the Lowveld region.
This vast agricultural corridor will be sustained by water drawn from major reservoirs — including Lake Mutirikwi, Tugwi-Mukosi, Manyuchi and Muzhwi — as well as perennial rivers such as the Mwenezi, Runde, Chiredzi and Mutirikwi.
Deputy Chief Secretary for Flagship Programmes and Projects in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Engineer Amos Marawa, confirmed the renewed push to develop the Runde-Tende project.
He said partnerships with the private sector were central to the plan’s execution.
“The Government is working with private sector players from both Zimbabwe and South Africa to ensure the project is realised,” said Eng Marawa.
“We have already signed Memoranda of Understanding, and we are now working on establishing the institutional frameworks necessary to support the investment.”
He added that the investors involved are expected not only to finance the dam but also to manage critical elements of the project, including water conveyancing infrastructure that will channel water to key areas such as Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi and other parts of Chiredzi.
Crucially, the Runde-Tende Dam will also serve a transboundary purpose.
Plans are underway to lay a pipeline that will convey water from the dam through Chivi, Mwenezi and rural Beitbridge into South Africa, reaching as far as Musina Town and northern Limpopo.
This will allow Zimbabwe to export raw water and earn valuable foreign currency while simultaneously greening the arid southern corridor with irrigation canals.
“The objective has always been to demonstrate that we can partner with private investors and financial institutions to deliver the transformative infrastructure.”
With Runde-Tende, Masvingo Province will consolidate its status as Zimbabwe’s most water-endowed region.
The province already holds 52 percent of all dammed water in the country and is home to both Lake Mutirikwi and Tugwi-Mukosi,.
Meanwhile, utilisation of Tugwi-Mukosi has begun, with work underway to develop 25 000 hectares at Nuanetsi Ranch for sugarcane, citrus and lucerne plantations, a template expected to be replicated once Runde-Tende comes online.
