Gwayi- Shangani Dam completion target in doubt, again

The ambitious Gwayi-Shangani Dam construction project, seen as a critical solution to Bulawayo's chronic water shortage, may not meet its 2025 completion target due to continued delays in the release of necessary funds by the Treasury. With only eight months remaining until the set deadline, concerns are growing over whether the project will be completed as planned.

The Gwayi-Shangani project, which has been under construction since 2004, has faced multiple setbacks and missed deadlines. In 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised that the dam would be completed by the end of 2019, but budgetary constraints and construction delays caused the project to miss this target. The completion date was then moved to 2022, but that deadline also came and went without the dam's completion. In 2023, the government revised the target yet again, setting the new completion date for the end of the 2023/2024 summer cropping season.

However, despite repeated assurances and shifting timelines, the project remains behind schedule. The latest setback comes after Treasury has failed to release funds on time, threatening the project's timely completion.

In response to a question raised by Hwange East legislator Hon. Joseph Bonda, Lands Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos acknowledged the significant financial challenges plaguing the project. Haritatos indicated that the project's future hinges on the timely release of funds, without which progress will continue to be delayed.

"What needs to be done is that the release of funds has to be done on time. If the releases are not done on time, unfortunately, it is outside of our purview. We can make promises. We want to keep to the timeline. If the money comes, we will do our best," Haritatos said.

He further emphasized the importance of the project, not just for the Matabeleland provinces, but also for Bulawayo, where the dam's completion will address the long-standing water crisis. The project includes a 276-kilometre reticulation system aimed at providing reliable water supplies to the southern region of the country.

Haritatos explained that the project faces financial hurdles that go beyond just the release of funds. Each section of the dam's construction has specific requirements, with every two meters of height needing approximately US$4 million in funding. "If we are only given, for example, two million dollars, this means no changes at the Gwayi-Shangani Dam. We require four million US dollars for the dam to be raised another two metres," Haritatos stated, underscoring the need for substantial financial allocations to ensure progress.

He also highlighted the inefficiency of receiving partial funding, noting that "the releases cannot be in drips and drops. They have to be in multipliers of four million and above" to meet construction needs.

The deputy minister called for urgent action to secure the necessary funding for the project, urging stakeholders and the public to pressure the Treasury to prioritize the completion of the dam. He stressed that the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is crucial not only for the water security of Bulawayo and Matabeleland but also for the broader development of the region.

"The contractors are on-site, and they have every incentive to complete the work. They want to continue and move on," Haritatos said, emphasizing that the project's completion was not just a government priority, but also one that directly affects communities.

As the project faces uncertainty, the people of Bulawayo and surrounding regions are hoping for swift government action to ensure that the dam, which holds the promise of resolving the city's water crisis, is completed without further delay.