US$500k required to fix Maitengwe Dam wall

Maitengwe Dam in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province, which in 2022 was rehabilitated at a cost of US$190 000, now requires US$500 000 to repair its wall, which was damaged again.

Commonly referred to as Mabhongwane Dam, the dam was constructed in the 1970s as a food security initiative, facilitating irrigation for crops such as wheat, maize and tobacco.

Initially, the dam had a storage capacity of six million cubic metres. However, severe siltation has drastically reduced its capacity to 3,6 million cubic metres. Since 1991, the dam has been breached five times.

The dam also plays a vital role as a water source for wildlife and livestock in the Makhulela area. The most recent repairs, carried out in October 2022, were funded through a US$190 000 grant from the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (Kaza TFCA), in partnership with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Campfire Association.

Bulilima Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer, Mr Billiat Mlauzi, said the dam wall has been damaged several times since 1991.

“Since 1991, the dam has breached five times at different sections, usually during the rainy season. A diversion was once attempted, by building a wall to block the natural channel and direct water into the dam.

“However, the water keeps forcing its way back along its original path,” he said.

The dam is the lifeline of the Campfire programme as it attracts tourists interested in sport hunting. “Tourists come to hunt elephants and other wild animals that come to the dam for watering. We have game from Hwange National Park, Tsholotsho and even Botswana that rely on Maitengwe Dam, especially during the dry season between September and December,” said Mr Mlauzi.

He said the most recent breach occurred on January 7 this year and damaged 14 sections of the dam wall.

“The catchment area of Maitengwe Dam is too large. The Thekwane River starts near Plumtree Town and feeds only one dam, Queateds Dam before reaching Maitengwe. For 100km there is no dam, meaning a massive volume of water is channelled directly into Maitengwe Dam,” he explained.

Mr Mlauzi said Maitengwe Dam wall has no stone pitching or a concrete hence it is susceptible to erosion.

He added: “The embankment used to be around three metres wide but due to erosion, it is now less than a metre wide in some places. Elephants cross the dam wall every year to access water, sometimes in groups of more than 400.

Heavy siltation of the dam has also worsened the situation.”

Mr Mlauzi said the dam floor has risen significantly due to sediment build-up, compromising the height of the dam walls, which now need to be raised. He also noted that the volume of water entering the dam no longer matches the outflow, necessitating engineering intervention to adjust levels and gradients.

Authorities once tried to divert water by building a wall across the riverbed to redirect the flow, but the water persistently reverted to its original channel, leading to repeated breaches.

The situation poses a serious threat to the Campfire programme if repairs are not made promptly. Elephants in the area may suffer from water stress, and the entire local economy could be affected.

“Communities are constructing schools and clinics and without income, all these projects will grind to a halt. More than 8 000 cattle graze in the Maitengwe area during the dry season and depend on the dam for water,” said Mr Mlauzi.

“Without water in the dam, fatalities are likely, especially before the next rainy season. Boreholes drilled by the council in partnership with the Safari Operator to supply water for wildlife will be overwhelmed and will not cope with the high demand.

“A scramble for limited water resources could lead to elephants killing livestock at watering points,” he added.

Mr Mlauzi said repairing the breached sections of the dam wall requires more than US$500 000.

He said communities from Campfire wards are considering forfeiting their 2025 dividends to redirect all available resources towards the dam’s rehabilitation.

@themkhust