US$87m Vungu Dam project to meet deadline

Herald Reporter

THE contractor for the US$87 million Vungu Dam project in Silobela, Midlands province, has pledged to complete the dam within the stipulated 36 months.

Grindale Engineering managing director, Engineer Grison Muwidzi, said he was ready to complement Government’s infrastructural development projects by constructing a dam that is set to transform the lives of people in the area and the whole value chain.

He said Vungu Dam will irrigate 1 200 hectares, provide potable water to a local business centre and surrounding communities as well as create jobs for local communities.

The construction of the major dam comes at a time when the Second Republic is constructing dams across the country to address water challenges and also climate-proof the agricultural sector which remains the mainstay of the country’s economy.

Through the provision of adequate water supplies — President Mnangagwa has taken it upon himself to make sure that Zimbabwe becomes food secure.

In an interview, Eng Muwidzi said his firm had the technical expertise to construct the dam where they will also establish a water treatment chemical plant.

 “The Vungu Dam provides Grindale Engineering with an opportunity to contribute to national development and support sustainable livelihoods through the irrigation of 1 200 hectares from 118 million cubic meters of water which will be made available when the dam is complete,” said Eng Muwidzi.

“Following a meeting with Zinwa held on the 17th of June 2022, it was agreed that the implementation of the project be speeded up in line with Government’s desire to see rapid rural industrialisation. 

“With the scale of mobilisation and the strategies that have been put in place as well as the availability of resources, we are confident of our ability to cover up for the lost time of two months”.

He said while the slow disbursement of funds from Treasury slowed down the project’s trajectory, they will continue the work at hand using their own resources.

 “The site was officially handed over to the contractor, Grindale Engineering, on the 5th of January 2022. 

“Under the terms of the contract, Government would provide a 10 percent advance payment (US$8,7 million) to the contractor at the handover of the project, a commitment we greatly appreciate. 

“To date 26 percent of the advance payment (2,6 percent of the total) which is US $2 624 271,51 has been paid. At three percent completion, the expenditure by the contractor exceeds in value the advance payment,” Eng Muwidzi said.

Grindale Engineering is a wholly-owned indigenous company incorporated in 1995 and has done extensive work for Government, the private sector, and local authorities.

The company has four divisions which comprise engineering services, civil construction, water and irrigation, retail division, and manufacturing Stian Valves.