Gold rush puts Bulawayo's water lifeline on life support

BULAWAYO Mayor David Coltart has warned that illegal and uncontrolled gold mining in rivers feeding the city's dams is emerging as one of the greatest threats to Bulawayo's long-term water security, arguing that environmental degradation now poses as much of a challenge as inadequate infrastructure.

In his most comprehensive assessment of the city's water outlook, Coltart said the destruction of rivers and tributaries supplying Bulawayo's reservoirs risks undermining major investments in water infrastructure unless urgent action is taken to protect the catchment areas.

His remarks shift the focus of Bulawayo's long-running water crisis beyond the traditional challenges of ageing infrastructure and limited capital investment, highlighting environmental protection as a critical pillar of the city's future water strategy.

"This requires urgent action from the government, from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), from the police and possibly even from the army," Coltart said.

"As I speak, many of the tributaries and rivers feeding our dams are being destroyed by gold mining. It simply has to stop because we can build as many dams as we like and upgrade our delivery infrastructure, but if water doesn't reach the dams, then we will have a major problem."

The mayor said Bulawayo's long-term water security now depends on protecting the river systems that replenish the city's reservoirs, warning that infrastructure investments alone cannot solve the crisis if catchment areas continue to deteriorate.

His comments come as Bulawayo continues to implement a 72 to 96-hour water-shedding programme due to constrained raw water supplies, ageing infrastructure and bottlenecks in the city's water transmission network.

For residents and businesses, water rationing has become a routine part of daily life, while the local authority continues to pursue large-scale projects aimed at expanding water supplies.

Coltart said the city's strategy rests on three interconnected priorities: securing additional raw water, upgrading critical infrastructure and protecting water catchments.

He identified the proposed Glassblock Dam and the long-awaited Gwayi-Shangani Dam and pipeline project as the cornerstone projects for increasing Bulawayo's future water supply.

Providing an update on the Glassblock Dam, Coltart said negotiations over the Water Purchase Offtake Agreement had progressed significantly following engagements involving the Ministry of Local Government and senior officials from the Ministries responsible for Lands and Water.

"I believe we are now very close to signing the Water Purchase Offtake Agreement," he said.

The mayor also welcomed progress on construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam wall but noted that financing the pipeline to transport water to Bulawayo remains the project's biggest outstanding challenge.

"The report sets out the funding required for the pipeline, and it runs into hundreds of millions of dollars," Coltart said.

"We, therefore, eagerly await the government's advice on how the pipeline will be financed, bearing in mind that it is expected to cost several hundred million dollars."

Beyond developing new water sources, Coltart said upgrading the Nsema Pump Station and related infrastructure remains an urgent operational priority.

The upgrades were recommended by the Water Technical Committee established by Water Minister Dr Anxious Masuka in 2024 following an assessment of Bulawayo's water delivery system.

According to Coltart, approximately US$17.5 million is required to complete the works.

"We were promised the money, but we're still waiting for it to be disbursed so that we can deliver the raw water stored in our dams to the city," he said.

While acknowledging the importance of financing major infrastructure projects, Coltart argued that environmental degradation now presents an equally significant challenge.

He warned that unless river systems and catchment areas are protected from destructive mining activities, dams, pipelines and pumping stations alone will not guarantee the city's long-term water security.

"We can build as many dams as we like and upgrade our delivery infrastructure, but if water doesn't reach the dams, then we will have a major problem," he said.

Coltart said addressing Bulawayo's water challenges requires close cooperation between the local authority and central government.

"We're working very hard to address them all, but in each case, we desperately need the full support and cooperation of the central government," he said.

His remarks underscore growing concerns that safeguarding the rivers feeding Bulawayo's reservoirs has become as important as constructing the infrastructure designed to capture, store and distribute water, making environmental protection an increasingly central component of the city's long-term development strategy.