Kunzvi Dam remains Govt priority project

State and other private entities in building the dam, Water Resources Development and Management Minister Sipepa Nkomo has said.
Minister Nkomo was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day workshop to discuss Zimbabwe’s water and power requirements jointly organised by Government and the African Development Bank on Wednesday.

“Kunzvi Dam will not become a Harare Dam because we do not want to subject other local authorities to Harare,” he said.
His comments were in response to Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda, who recently said Government had no capacity to build the dam suggesting council should take over the task.

But Minister Nkomo said Government would not abdicate its oversight role to ensure that the dam was built under “Government leadership”.
He said Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Epworth and Norton should actually invest in the dam with a view to giving the satellite towns shareholding and autonomy in water purification and distribution rights.

He said the shareholding would address issues of water delivery given a situation that when Harare does not have enough water it throttles supplies to the towns to satisfy its own demand.
“Government policy is to wean off Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Norton and Epworth. We want them to manage their own water.

“Mayor Masunda can come and meet with me. I want to hear his proposition. I welcome his proposition,” he said.
Minister Nkomo said if the current initiative being driven by businessman Mr John Mapondera failed Government would have no option but to invite other interested partners.

Mr Mapondera won the tender to build the dam but work is still to begin.
On Wednesday Mr Mapondera spoke at length on financing options but shied away from tackling Kunzvi Dam.

Participants to the workshop wanted to hear the practical steps that would deliver water to Harare.
The majority of speakers highlighted problems and bottlenecks rather than proffering solutions. Others gave gloomy scenarios that would put off any serious investors in the water sector.

Harare has a serious water deficit. Demand for water is around 1 200 megalitres per day but the city averages half the amount.
The construction of Kunzvi Dam and two others, Musami and Mazowe, is expected to end the water shortages at least for the foreseeable future.

Mr Masunda welcomed Minister Nkomo’s views.

“That would be an eminently sensible model to put in place as the satellite towns of Greater Harare would have a meaningful stake in a vital component of service delivery visa-vis the provision of potable water to the stakeholders,” he said.