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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Three unnamed foreign investors have shown interest in financing the US$72 million Masvingo City’s long awaited water augmentation project that is touted as a permanent panacea to the town’s recurrent water woes.
Masvingo is periodically blighted by water shortages, with some suburbs failing to go for 24 hours with running water because of runaway demand that outstrips supply.
The ancient city pumps around 30 megalitres daily which falls short of the required 48 megalitres, leaving a shortfall that forces some suburbs to make do with dry taps several days per week.
Council conceived phase 2 of the water augmentation project that envisages duplicating the existing water pumping, purification, conveyancing and storage infrastructure raising daily output to 60 megalitres.
The project has been in ice because of dearth of funding, with a financial feasibility study showing a whopping US$72 million was required for the project.
Masvingo City took its begging bowl to the ongoing Dubai Exposition to scout for possible financiers of the project, with any financial injection being guaranteed by Government.
Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa said after selling the water project in Dubai, investors were showing interest.
According to Eng Mukaratirwa, prospects of securing funding for the project were very high. If a financing deal is struck, Masvingo City will never be the same again, added Eng Mukaratirwa, noting that water was central to the city’s ambitions to become a world class city by 2030.
“We went to Dubai (Dubai Expo 2020) as Masvingo City where we showcased our water augmentation project as one of the key areas in need of investment and we are pleased with the response that we got,” he said.
“There are good prospects on the horizon. So far, we have three foreign investors who have shown serious interest to finance our water project and we continue to keep our fingers crossed in the hope that a deal is struck.”
Eng Mukaratirwa noted that council expected the water project to take off as it will open avenues for more investments and subsequently growth and expansion of Zimbabwe’s oldest town.
Already, big industries such as SIMBI, an acronym for Sponge Iron Mining and Beneficiation Industries, owned by Steelmakers Pvt Ltd, has announced expansion plans that hinge on availability of sufficient water supplies from council.
The sponge iron manufacturer housed in the Masvingo Industrial area, plans to splurge over US$150 million to expand its plant to produce steel.
Currently, its sponge is shipped to the Steelmakers plant in Kwekwe to be further processed into steel.
Water challenges in Masvingo City stand in the way of the potentially game changing investment by SIMBI.
Masvingo City draws its water from Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe’s second largest interior dam after Tugwi-Mukosi.
Lake Mutirikwi is the sole water source for the city and despite spilling this year for the first time in 39 years,water remains a challenge in the ancient city because of limited capacity to supply it. Conservative estimates put Masvingo’s population at around 120 000 residents and the existing water supply infrastructure last underwent a major upgrade in 1984 when the city’s population hovered around 25 000.
Online Reporter