Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
Construction of houses intended for families who will be relocated to facilitate the building of Kunzvi Dam has commenced.
The dam project aims to alleviate chronic water shortages for Harare and surrounding areas.
The initial phase involves building seven houses, which will enable work on the dam spillway area to proceed, a project previously stalled due to health and safety concerns regarding the villagers’ presence.
Each new home will feature a round kitchen, three bedrooms, a Blair toilet, a granary, a perimeter fence and access to a communal borehole.
The construction of the houses is a major boost for the dam project, which had been delayed due to the need for the villagers to be relocated from the basin area.
During a visit to the Kunzvi Dam site, Makomo Engineering workers were observed working on the spillway area after local leaders and affected villagers approved the construction following assurance that those to be relocated will be provided new houses.
Engineer Davison Madondo, resident engineer for the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), expressed enthusiasm about the development.
“We are quite excited about the progress. Working on the spillway had been delayed due to the families’ presence,” he said.
“Now that construction of their alternative homes has begun, they are more agreeable to the works proceeding.”
Approximately 450 families will be relocated in phases to ensure uninterrupted progress on the dam.
However, the relocation process depends on the availability of the necessary resources to undertake the process.
Eng Madondo said families living in the borrow area — where materials like quarry are sourced — and those in the dam basin will be relocated.
“Our goal is to complete the dam this year, and we remain hopeful that resources will be provided on time,” he added.
Current activities at the site include excavation on the main dam, embankment placement, outlet works excavation and reinforcement and construction of access roads.
Presently, Makomo Engineering is focusing on the spillway foundation, placing sand on the chimney drain and preparing the embankment.
Once completed, Kunzvi Dam will be one of the largest water bodies in Mashonaland East, and supply water to Harare, neighbouring towns such as Chitungwiza and Ruwa. The dam is strategically located at the confluence of the Nora and Nyaguwe rivers in Goromonzi District.
The construction of Kunzvi Dam is a vital component of the Government’s efforts to enhance water supply and support the nation’s development goals.
As part of the National Development Strategy 1, the dam project aligns with Zimbabwe’s vision of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
