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In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Water Resources Management and Development Minister Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo said the generator was giving engineers headaches.
“The last report I had was that engineers were still battling to connect the generator. You can call me tomorrow for further details,” said Dr Nkomo.
However, his mobile phone has not been reachable since then.
Yesterday, a secretary at his Ministry said he was out of the country.
Last month, Dr Nkomo announced that the 46-kilometre pipeline had been completed.
He said the only problem was that one of the twin generators switched off whenever engineers tried to start the pumps.
Dr Nkomo said the problem would be solved by using one big generator.
The engineers have been battling to connect it since 13 November.
A comment could not be obtained from Zinwa spokesperson Ms Majorie Munyonga and her deputy Mr Tsungirai Shoriwa as they were said to be out.
Last week, Bulawayo’s director of engineering services, Engineer Simela Dube said if Lower Ncema Dam is decommissioned before the city accesses Mtshabezi water, water shedding would have to be increased by a day or two.
The Mtshabezi pipeline has missed numerous completion deadlines over the years.
The project is viewed as a short-term solution to Bulawayo’s perennial water shortage problems.
Mtshabezi will become the city’s sixth supply dam.
The city is facing a water crisis following insignificant inflows of about one percent into the five supply dams last year, owing to a poor rainy season.
Two of the supply dams, Umzingwane and Upper Ncema have been decommissioned.
Lower Ncema and Inyankuni are likely to follow before the end of the year, leaving the city to rely on Insiza Dam and water from boreholes at Nyamandlovu Aquifer.
A project, which Dr Sipepa Nkomo said would be completed within four months, is under way to resuscitate 26 boreholes at the aquifer.
Dr Sipepa Nkomo is on record saying this would increase the water drawn from the aquifer from 3 000 cubic metres a day to about 34 000.
The additional water is likely to reduce shedding by a further 48 hours.
The permanent solution to the city’s water crisis is viewed as the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP), which has been on the drawing board since 1912.
Dr Sipepa Nkomo recently announced that Government had secured the $1,2 billion needed for the project from China.
He said the NMZWP would be completed three years from the day workmen moved on site.
Online Reporter