Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
The construction of a pipeline linking Bulawayo and Lake Gwayi-Shangani beginning early next year, will upon completion end the city’s water challenges once and for all, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.
Addressing thousands of villagers, seed houses and fertilizer manufacturers gathered at Nenyunka Primary School in Gokwe-Kabuyuni constituency under Chief Nenyunka area in Gokwe North District, during the launch of the 2021/2022 Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, President Mnangagwa said ensuring sufficient water supplies in
Bulawayo Province is a priority for the Second Republic.
Already, Government has selected six contractors to work on the 245km pipeline.The 650 million cubic metre dam construction is expected to be complete next month, while the pipeline project will be done by December 2022.
“In terms of water availability, there are areas such as Bulawayo which have been facing perennial water challenges since time immemorial. Early next year, we are going to construct a water pipeline linking Bulawayo to Lake Gwayi-Shangani. With water supply from the lake, Bulawayo perennial water challenges will be a thing of the past.
This is the work of the Second Republic,” he said.
President Mnangagwa, who asked Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube to stand up so that she could be seen by everyone, said the minister always raised her province’s water problems with him.
“Water in Bulawayo is a problem and she would bemoan the water situation. I said to her sizalungisa.
We went to Epping Forest which has boreholes that can pump 155 megalitres and we fixed some boreholes and now over 150 megalitres are being pumped to the province. We are short of four or five megalitres. Now the Lake Gwayi-Shangani pipeline is set for early next year and Bulawayo will never run out of water after that,” he said.
The massive project will transform the lives of communities along the 260km water pipeline route from Gwayi-Shangani Dam to Bulawayo. Villagers in areas along the pipeline will tremendously benefit through increased agricultural activity as several irrigation schemes will be established.
The dam will have a holding capacity of 650 million cubic metres of water, which is slightly bigger than the total capacity of Bulawayo’s six supply dams.
President Mnangagwa said the Government is implementing developmental projects in every province in the country, from roads rehabilitation to construction of dams.
He said countrywide, roads were being constructed or rehabilitated, adding that in three years, there will only be tarred roads or compacted and solid roads.
“On Wednesday we were in Chimanimani to check on Idai victims and progress in their lives. There were 26 bridges that were destroyed and they all have been rehabilitated and so have some roads. We want to uplift communities and no-one must be left behind, and no area will be left behind.
“To date, over 5 000 motorbikes have been distributed to Agritex extension officers and they now have safety clothes.
This had not happened to them. We want them to bring to you information on agriculture so that you increase productivity and profitability,” said the President.
The Second Republic, he said, is walking the talk in terms of development of the country.
President Mnangagwa said part of development is industrialisation of the rural areas through people-oriented programmes.
He said rural-urban migration will come to an end through the setting up of manufacturing plants in rural areas like Nenyunka.
“This is industrialisation of the rural areas. So, this side we will look at fruits you have and set up companies. There is the Midlands State University innovation hub or industrial hub that must be used to find what product can be harvested from the fruits you have here, for example. We want to see manufacturing industries here and not in Gweru or Kwekwe,” he said.
Turning to cotton, he said Government will avail farming inputs for free.
“The Government wants to develop, change your livelihoods and only three things are required and these are person, land and rain from God. We have the rains and the soil and we need you to embrace this,” he said.
Online Reporter