BCC worried about Mtshabezi project delays

BULAWAYO city councillors are worried about delays in the completion of the Mtshabezi Dam pipeline project amid fears the project might not be completed this month.

Bulawayo is facing an acute water shortage with the five supply dams - Insiza, Umzingwane, Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema and Inyankuni - holding about 48,9 percent of their full capacity as of 27 April this year.

The councillors feel the progress on the Mtshabezi pipeline project is slow and that further delays might worsen the city's water woes.

Last month Water Resources Development and Management Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo promised that the pipeline project, which is viewed as a short-term solution to Bulawayo's water woes, would be commissioned this month.

He also reported that the project was 87 percent complete and that the city would soon be using water from the dam.

When Chronicle visited the site yesterday contractors were still working on the pump house site while electricity had not been installed. However, most pipes along the 46-kilometre length of the pipeline had been laid.

A worker who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the project was nearing completion but could not say when it would be completed.

In a telephone interview Minister Sipepa Nkomo could not be drawn to explain how far the project had progressed, saying that he had not been briefed about its progress.

"I have not been around and I need to be briefed about the update on the project. I have not had the opportunity to meet the people who are manning the project. I first need to get updates on how far the contractor who won the tender has gone," said Minister Sipepa Nkomo before switching off his cellphone.

According to the latest council report, the city's five supply dams have water that can last for only 20 months, with 80 percent of the water being held in Insiza Dam.

However, the water at the dam cannot be abstracted at the required rate due to pipeline constraints.

The councillors expressed concern over the dwindling water levels in the city's supply dams and are considering instituting a tighter water-rationing regime in a bid to conserve the precious liquid.

Ward 8 Councillor Mackenzie Julius Sibanda said there was little progress regarding the Mtshabezi Dam pipeline.

Ward 26 Clr Norman Hlabani challenged Minister Sipepa Nkomo to prioritise the Mtshabezi Dam pipeline project in order to avert a crisis.

Ward 27 Clr Siboniso Khumalo who proposed that council introduces a five-hour water-shedding programme daily in order to save the scarce resource seconded him.

The councillors implored Minister Sipepa Nkomo to take appropriate action on the water issue and expedite the completion of the pipeline project.

They said the feasibility studies for Insiza pipeline duplication had been completed and a report submitted to Minister Sipepa Nkomo for approval and funding.

Clr Lot Siziba of Ward 13 was of the view that the Insiza pipeline duplication was taking too long although $1,5 million had been allocated for the project.

The councillors also sought clarity as to why ring-fenced water funds were diverted for other purposes without their knowledge and despite the council resolution on the matter.

In his response the Financial Director Mr Kempton Ndimande said water funds were used to pay workers' salaries as council had financial challenges.

The city fathers said Minister Sipepa Nkomo should meet the water committee quickly and map the way forward on the water situation before it got out of hand.

However, the chairperson of the Future Water Supplies and Water Action Committee, Clr Gideon Mangena said water shedding would precipitate sewer blockages and other problems.

The Director of Engineering Services, Engineer Simela Dube, also opposed the move saying water shedding would affect other operations.

"A lot of water is lost through evaporation and water shedding would result in more evaporation. It would not be prudent to introduce water shedding, as it would affect other operations.

"Water shedding would only be considered when the system is unable to deliver sufficient water," said Eng Dube.
Completion of the Mtshabezi pipeline project has often missed deadlines failing to beat the four deadlines that were set last year.

Initially, Minister Sipepa Nkomo had announced that it would be completed in March, then October, before shifting it to the end of the year and later indefinitely.

Last month, Minister Sipepa Nkomo shocked everyone when he admitted for the first time that the city faced a water crisis.

He said he would not be surprised if failure to complete the pipeline in June would result in water shedding being introduced.

The city was forced to decommission Upper Ncema on 21 March and Umzingwane Dam is likely to follow in a few weeks.

Mtshabezi Dam was completed in 1994 but has been lying idle due to delays in the completion of a pipe linking it to Umzingwane Dam.

The dam has a capacity of about 52,2 million cubic metres.

Once harnessed, it will be the city's sixth supply dam and the third largest, after Insiza and Inyankuni.

In February, Eng Dube said water shedding was imminent after the city's five supply dams had a collective inflow of only two percent of their holding capacity during the last rainy season.

The city is said to be operating with a deficit of about four dams, as an additional supply dam is supposed to be constructed after every 10 years.

The last supply dam to be constructed and used by the city was Insiza in 1976.