Muchekeranwa Dam to ease Harare water woes

Zvamaida Murwira, Senior Reporter

CONSTRUCTION of the first phase of a 26-kilometre pipeline that will draw water from Muchekeranwa Dam to Wennimbi Dam for onward conveyancing to Harare Metropolitan Province is taking shape as the Second Republic steps up its commitment to bail out local authorities that have been unable to provide residents with potable water.

Against the backdrop of the El Nino-induced drought, most councils are running dry and have since appealed to Central Government for a bail-out.

Muchekeranwa Dam, on the borders of Manicaland and Mashonaland East Province, has been transformative in that aspect, providing water to irrigate horticultural projects, while a pipeline that will provide water to Harare is being laid down.

Work to install pump stations and a reservoir adjacent to Muchekeranwa Dam has already started, and it was a hive of activity when The Herald arrived at the dam where workers from Makomo Engineering were busy at work.

Members of the out-grower irrigation scheme were also busy harvesting tomatoes on the sprawling 20-hectare plot, with trucks lining up to ferry the produce to Mbare Musika and Mozambique where there is a lucrative market.

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The Muchekeranwa Dam project was funded by the Government to the tune of US$5 million before it was commissioned by President Mnangagwa.

It was constructed by China Nanchang Engineering (now Makomo Engineering) and Multiforce Corporation JV while the Zimbabwe National Water Authority was the Government’s implementing agent.

Workers build pump house station at Muchekeranwa dam which will carry water from the dam to Wenimbe enroute to Chitungwiza in Marondera on Saturday. Picture Justin Mutenda

In an interview, Makomo Engineering site manager, Mr Jianzhao Pang, said work was going on well.

“We are installing pump stations and a reservoir that will draw water from Muchekeranwa to Wennimbi, and that is the first phase of the project. We have three pump houses each with four pumps to make them 12. We are hoping to complete the project by next year. The bulk of our workers are drawn from the local community, and they include semi-skilled, skilled and non-skilled workers. We employ brick layers, welders and carpenters among others,” said Mr Jianzhao.

The pipeline project from Muchekeranwa dam is expected to supply at least 90 megalitres to Chitungwiza municipality, exceeding the current demand of 75 megalitres.

Harare, Masvingo, Bulawayo and Chitungwiza have experienced perennial water challenges and pleaded for Government intervention.

The pipeline is expected to complement Kunzvi dam which is currently under construction and is expected to end perennial water challenges for Harare metropolitan and surrounding areas.

There is also a thriving horticultural project a short distance away where there are 20 hectares of tomatoes at different stages of maturity.

Of the 20 hectares, nine hectares are being harvested and trucks could be seen being loaded en route to Mozambique.

Workers haverst tomatoes under irrigation water from Muchekeranwa dam in Marondera on Saturday. Picture Justin Mutenda

In an interview, the manager of the scheme, Mrs Sandra Madzamba Mtahwa, said they have benefitted from Muchekeranwa dam where they were drawing water for their irrigation project.

“We want to thank President Mnangagwa for his policies to empower women. At this project, we are predominantly women and even most of the workers we have hired to harvest tomatoes are women. The dam has helped us a lot in our project,” said Mrs Madzamba-Mtahwa.

She said they supply the tomatoes to both Mbare Musika and Mozambique.

“We sell our tomatoes both in Harare and export to Mozambique. We supply Mbare strategically to ensure that we do not flood the market. The lorries are here to ferry our produce to Mozambique, so we are excited about the dam project,” she said.

An employee at the project, Ms Emilia Chimbetete, said thanks to the horticulture project, she was now able to send her children to school.

“Since we started working on this project, I have been able to provide for my family, my children, and bought some livestock,” she said.

Another employee, Ms Susan Mugadza, said she has been able to help her parents.

Muchekeranwa Dam was constructed on the confluence of the Mucheke and Nyagombo rivers and is currently benefitting the Marondera University of Agricultural Science and Technology (Muast), which is situated at Dosmerry Farm in the Masomera area.

The areas that will benefit from the dam are Svosve in Mashonaland East province and Chiduku in Manicaland province.

The Government is constructing 12 high-impact dams countrywide that will have a hydropower station on site in line with the Government’s thrust of rural industrialisation as the nation targets food self-sufficiency.