Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
A PIPED water scheme has been successfully installed at Manama Mission School in Gwanda District, bringing relief to pupils and staff who had been grappling with erratic and unsafe water supplies.
The project, implemented under the Government’s 100-Day Cycle Programme, marks a major step in improving access to clean water at the institution and is part of the Second Republic’s infrastructure drive aimed at enhancing service delivery.
The school used to draw water from a nearby river through sand abstraction but the system was destroyed by heavy rains late last year, leaving learners and staff struggling to access safe water.
The newly installed piped system is now fully connected to the school’s main water network thereby restoring reliable supplies.
Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) Matabeleland South provincial director, Mr Likhwalethu Ndlovu, said the project is now complete and is among legacy development projects rolled out in the province, which hosted this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
“We have managed to install a piped water scheme at Manama Mission School under the 100-day cycle and the project is now 100 percent complete.
“The piped water scheme has 20 000-litre reservoir tanks covering a two-kilometre radius,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu added that a second piped water scheme is planned under the next cycle, targeting more than 150 households in the Manama area in a move expected to extend the benefits to the wider community.
The 100-Day Cycle Programme, coordinated through the Office of the President and Cabinet, is part of the Government’s rapid-results approach to implementing high-impact projects across sectors such as water, transport, agriculture and housing.
The initiative is aligned with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030, which prioritise infrastructure development and improved living standards.
Manama village head, Mr Stephen Sibanda, said the development will significantly ease water challenges in the area, where communities have been relying on a limited number of boreholes, some of which have broken down.
“This project will bring much-needed relief. People have been relying on unsafe water sources such as streams. With a piped water scheme, villagers will be able to access clean water at a reasonable distance,” he said.
Mr Sibanda noted that the availability of reliable water will also open up opportunities for household nutrition gardens and small-scale income-generating projects.
“A piped water scheme will be convenient, especially for the elderly, as they will be able to collect water from taps instead of pumping from boreholes, which requires physical effort. It will also allow people to establish gardens, helping improve food security and incomes,” he said.
The Government recently conducted an assessment of first-phase projects under the 100-Day Cycle Programme in Matabeleland South, covering districts such as Mangwe, Gwanda, Matobo and Beitbridge, to ensure timely implementation and address bottlenecks.
Some of the projects assessed include the Mtshabezi Irrigation Scheme upgrade, the Zindele Primary School solar project construction, the Manama piped water scheme, the Maphisa Independence legacy projects, the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo vocational training centre, housing projects, and the construction of roads, among others.
The 100-Day Cycle Projects for 2026, are scheduled to run from 9 February to 15 December 2026, and encompass a total of 603 projects across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).”
The review looked at several key initiatives, including irrigation upgrades, solar electrification projects, road construction and vocational training centres — all aimed at improving livelihoods and accelerating rural development.
Matabeleland South provincial deputy director for environmental planning and management in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Maxwell Muwondori, said collaboration among stakeholders is critical to ensuring projects are completed on time and deliver tangible benefits.
The 2026 100-Day Cycle Projects, running from February to December, comprise more than 600 initiatives across Government ministries, departments and agencies, focusing on infrastructure, agriculture and mining as key drivers of economic growth. —@DubeMatutu
Sidumisile Mabena