Source: Kunzvi Dam: 278 houses ready for displaced families – herald
Precious Manomano
THE construction of 278 houses for families being relocated to make way for Kunzvi Dam has been completed, with another 95 homes under construction, as the massive water infrastructure project moves closer to completion.
The resettlement programme is progressing alongside construction of the dam, which is now 74 percent complete and began impounding water during the 2025/2026 rainy season.
Of the houses planned for affected families, 120 of the 177 homes in Goromonzi district have been completed, while 158 of the 258 houses planned in neighbouring Murewa district are now ready.
A further 95 houses are under construction in Murewa. The development means hundreds of families affected by the project are being moved into new accommodation as the Government pushes ahead with one of the country’s major water infrastructure projects.
Kunzvi Dam is being constructed on the Nyagui River along the border of Murewa and Goromonzi districts in Mashonaland East province.
According to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), the dam has reached a major construction milestone, with work continuing on the dam wall, intake tower, spillway and other key components.
ZINWA head of corporate communications and marketing Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said the dam started impounding water during the last rainy season.
“Steady progress continues to be recorded on the Kunzvi Dam construction project, with the dam now 74 percent complete. The dam started impounding water in the 2025/26 rainy season,” she said. Once completed, Kunzvi Dam is expected to significantly improve water availability in Harare and communities in Mashonaland East.
The project will also provide irrigation water for at least 500 hectares of farmland, allowing farmers in surrounding communities to move towards year-round production.
The dam will provide potable water to Juru Growth Point, Cross and Musami business centres and Majuru Business Centre in Goromonzi.
Construction progress is also being recorded on the dam’s main structures.
ZINWA said more than 1,2 million cubic metres of core material and 1,4 million cubic metres of fill material had been placed on the dam wall, while nearly 58 000 cubic metres of rip-rap had been installed to protect the structure from erosion.
Work is also continuing on the intake tower and spillway return channel, while monitoring equipment is being installed to track water pressure and seepage within the dam structure and ensure its long-term safety.
Construction of the Juru-Kunzvi road is progressing alongside the dam project, improving access to the construction site and surrounding communities, while laying the foundation for increased economic activity once the dam becomes operational.
The Kunzvi project forms part of the Government’s broader drive to expand water storage capacity, increase irrigation, improve access to safe drinking water and strengthen the country’s resilience to droughts and climate change.
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