Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT is accelerating the construction of major dams countrywide, with Gwayi-Shangani and Kunzvi dams now over 70 percent complete as part of efforts to strengthen water security, expand irrigation and unlock new economic activity.
Gwayi-Shangani Dam in Matabeleland North is now 82 percent complete and is expected to be finished by the end of the year, while Kunzvi Dam, being constructed on the Nyagui River along the Murewa-Goromonzi border in Mashonaland East, has reached 74 percent completion.
The two projects are among the Government’s priority water infrastructure developments and are expected to address long-standing water challenges in Bulawayo and Harare, while supporting agriculture, energy and industrial development.
In an interview on Friday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said Treasury support had enabled Government to focus on completing the two major dams.
“There are 12 dams that were active in the last two or three years. Over the last two years, we have really been focusing on two major dams, which is Gwayi-Shangani Dam and Kunzvi Dam.
“Those two dams have been the particular focus of the Government over the last two years. For Gwayi-Shangani, we are now over 80 percent in terms of its progression. We expect that with the current support from Treasury, we should be able to complete this dam at the end of 2026,” he said.
Gwayi-Shangani is a key component of Government’s long-term plan to address Bulawayo’s perennial water shortages while opening opportunities for irrigation, power generation and industrial development.
The project includes six pump stations to move water towards Bulawayo, while a water treatment plant is planned for Cowdray Park.
Irrigation schemes will also be established along the 256-kilometre pipeline from the dam to Bulawayo, creating opportunities for increased agricultural production along the corridor.
The dam will generate 10MW of electricity, further enhancing its economic significance and contributing to the national power grid.
Prof Jiri said the pipeline to Bulawayo was already being installed.
“We expect that Gwayi-Shangani will feed into Bulawayo and already the pipeline from the dam into the city is being installed. So, we expect that the next rainy season, once the dam wall is complete, water will be impounded,” he said.
He said the project would also unlock irrigation potential from existing dams such as Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema and Insiza as demand for potable water shifts to Gwayi-Shangani.
Kunzvi Dam is also progressing, with Prof Jiri, saying the project was expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
“For Kunzvi Dam, it’s also progressing very well, now also over 75 percent in terms of completion. It will be able to support Harare in terms of water requirements and already pipeline development from Kunzvi to Harare is already underway. We expect the dam to also be able to be completed by end of 2026,” he said.
The dam has started impounding water while finishing works continue.
According to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), construction has advanced on the dam wall, intake tower, spillway and other key structures.
More than 1,2 million cubic metres of core material and 1,4 million cubic metres of fill material have been placed on the dam wall, while nearly 58 000 cubic metres of rip-rap has been installed to protect the structure from erosion.
Kunzvi Dam is expected to improve water availability for Harare and surrounding communities, while supplying potable water to Juru Growth Point, Cross and Musami business centres and Majuru Business Centre in Goromonzi. The project will also provide irrigation water for at least 500 hectares, supporting year-round agricultural production.
The construction of the Juru-Kunzvi road is progressing alongside the dam project, improving access to the site and surrounding communities. The resettlement programme for families affected by the Kunzvi project is also advancing.
A total of 278 houses have been completed, with another 95 under construction. In Goromonzi, 120 of the planned 177 houses have been completed, while 158 of the 258 houses planned for Murewa are ready.
Prof Jiri said the broader dam construction programme was aimed at transforming water bodies into centres of economic activity.
“For us to put it into perspective, we have more than 10 600 water bodies. A lot of these are actually large dams with the capacity to irrigate more than two million hectares.
“If you look at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, it has the capacity to irrigate over 40 000 hectares, Marovanyati Dam can irrigate more than 5 000 hectares and Gwayi-Shangani Dam, which is coming up, can irrigate up to 10 000 hectares,” he said.
Zimbabwe requires at least 350 000 hectares under irrigation to guarantee cereal self-sufficiency, he said.
“Constructing the dam wall is the easier part. The important thing is converting every water body into an economy that supports irrigation development, fisheries, hydropower generation, livestock production and water reticulation for surrounding communities.”
Other major dams under construction include Vungu in Lower Gweru, which is now more than 60 percent complete, while Sengwa Dam has surpassed the 50 percent mark.
Dande, Mbada, Bindura, Defe, Tuli Manyange and Semwa are also among other dam projects under construction.
Completed projects include Tugwi-Mukosi, Muchekeranwa, Marovanyati and Chivhu dams, which are already providing water and supporting irrigation and other economic activities.
Government is targeting the development of 12 high-impact dams by 2027 as part of efforts to expand water storage, increase irrigation, strengthen drought resilience and support rural industrialisation.
The dam construction programme is being complemented by the planned establishment of 35 000 boreholes across villages to improve access to clean water.
The infrastructure drive is expected to create opportunities in agriculture, fisheries, energy, construction and related industries, while supporting the Government’s broader development agenda towards an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
Source: Govt ups dam construction to boost water security – herald
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