Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT has backed plans to construct Bopoma Glassblock Dam in Matabeleland South province through public-private partnership (PPPs) to boost bulk water supplies for local communities and potentially extend impact to ease water challenges facing Bulawayo as a short-term solution.
The 130 million cubic metre dam is located at the boundary of Gwanda, Umzingwane, and Filabusi districts and is set to be completed within a record of two years from commencement at a cost of about US$100 million.
The idea to construct Bopoma Glassblock Dam was mooted in 1988 but the project never commenced due to various reasons including funding.
Plans are now underway to kick-start the project, which is expected to provide reliable water supply to Bulawayo and other communities through a 32km pipeline that would connect the dam to the Ncema Dam pump station.
Prominent businessman, Mr James Ross (JR) Goddard through his company JRG Construction has been contracted to carry out the dam construction works, and already land clearance has been done while a construction site has been set up with all the equipment and machinery being mobilised.
Speaking during a recent stakeholders’ tour of the project site, Mr Goddard said after his company was awarded the tender, they managed to set up a station to conduct preliminary works. He said the project will not replace the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project but serve as a possible short-term solution. Mr Goddard said once the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project is completed, that will ease demand for the Bopoma Glassblock Dam thereby benefitting the local community.
“Parties involved in this project are working on the necessary documentation together with Zinwa and Bulawayo City Council aiming for submissions to ZIDA by the end of October this year for ZIDA to obtain final Cabinet approval so that we can start works,” said Mr Goddard.
“Since the granting of leave to commence with exploratory works for the dam, our team has hit the ground running.
“We have established a construction site for the first stage of construction, which will be excavation, grouting, and preliminary works. We have cleared the plan area of the left and right earth embankments,” he added.
“Our construction site has accommodation for staff, a workshop, site laboratory among other facilities. We are ready to commence work.”
Mr Goddard said an earlier survey conducted showed no homesteads would be affected by the dam and indicated that the project could likely create over 200 jobs for locals.
In a message delivered by the director for infrastructure, planning, and environmental management in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mr Daniel Njowa, Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu stressed the need to expedite processes to ensure every requirement is met to commence the project.
“This is the kind of development we have always called for in our province where we develop one of our major sectors, which is agriculture. This dam will help to turn this area into a green belt,” she said.
“It will birth several economically driven projects such as livestock production, crop production, and fishery among others. Harnessing water is important in boosting our agricultural production.
“I will do my part to engage relevant authorities to ensure we expedite the completion of this project. I would like to urge councils to start thinking of communities that are downstream and how they can be organised so that we create agricultural land that can be irrigated to increase the production of this province.
“The province has great potential in agriculture but through water harvesting, we can achieve a lot,” she said.
Traditional leaders and council executives from the three districts that will benefit from the project expressed excitement and pledged their full support.
Chief Masuku from Gwanda said the dam will play a crucial role especially now that the water table in most areas was low. He said the dam will help to protect the community’s major source of livelihood and wealth, which is livestock while promoting irrigation.
Chief Ndube from Insiza District said as traditional leadership they hoped to see the project being implemented timeously.
“We have long waited for this dam to be constructed because it will ease water challenges, which have been haunting villagers. The situation is dire, people and animals don’t have water,” he said.
“Water has been passing through this river and we haven’t been benefitting much from it but now we will be able to harness it through this dam.”
The Bopoma Dam project is a vital component of the Government’s broader strategy to improve water resource management and infrastructure in Zimbabwe. Bopoma Glassblock Dam was set to be constructed by 1996 but the project stalled. Efforts were made to resume the project in 2018 but they did not yield much fruit. — @DubeMatutu
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