Lake Gwayi-Shangani completion to spur rural industrialisation

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE completion of Lake Gwayi Shangani will spur rural industrialisation through provision of electricity and clean water to villages while weaning off some Bulawayo supply dams in Matabeleland South to cater for other developmental projects.

Bulawayo draws water from Umzingwane, Lower Ncema, Upper Ncema, Insiza, Inyakuni, Mtshabezi dams.

However, due to erratic rains, the city’s residents are being subjected to water rationing.

The construction of Lake Gwayi-Shangani and laying of the 245KM Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo pipeline is expected to address the city’s water problems.

Government has identified 10 000 hectares of land for an irrigation project which will create a greenbelt along the Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo pipeline to contribute towards food security in the dry regions of Matabeleland.

The completion of the project will also see Government constructing a 10-megawatt power station at the Lake Gwayi Shangani site.

Yesterday, a crunch inter-ministerial indaba was held in Hwange to deliberate on the progress and challenges affecting the project.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka chaired yesterday’s meeting which was attended by Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube, her Matabeleland North counterpart Richard Moyo, Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Evelyne Ndlovu and Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Raymore Machingura.

Other ministries were represented by senior officials while Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube was accompanied by the acting director of Engineering Services, Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube.

After the meeting, the inter-ministerial team toured the lake construction site.

In his opening remarks, Dr Masuka said President Mnangagwa’s vision of completing the dam should be achieved at all costs hence all Government departments must pull in the same direction to realise the goal.

He said a commitment was made to President Mnangagwa that the project will be commissioned before the end of the year and ministries should execute their duties and ensure that the President’s vision is realised.

Due to the magnitude of work being done, the dam’s completion date has been pushed further towards the end of the year.

Dr Masuka said on completion, the project will have a far-reaching impact.

“The Lake Gwayi-Shangani project will be felt beyond Matabeleland North and beyond Bulawayo as dams in Matabeleland South supplying Bulawayo with water will be released for other projects. The impact will be felt everywhere in Zimbabwe as we journey towards 2030 into a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income economy,” said Dr Masuka.

He said the construction of the dam should ignite rural industrialisation where communities will have access to clean water and electricity to power local institutions.

“Lake Gwayi-Shangani is at the core of the development that we seek to see happening before April 2023 and the dam is not the project, the dam is the impressive part of the project but that is not the project. We are impounding the water for a purpose.

Why we are impounding that water is the project, the project or some of the sub components of the project are the dam, fisheries that will be undertaken in that lake, irrigation development that will be undertaken first for the communities so that no one and no place is left behind so that no household and no village is left behind,” said Dr Masuka.

“There is also an electricity generation project, electricity for the communities, electricity for the schools, electricity for the business centre and that is rural development. Then of course potable water, potable water not for Bulawayo first but potable water for the communities. There will be treatment works dedicated to communities around Lake Gwayi-Shangani and the most spectacular and gigantic aspect of the project is the conveyance of the 252KM pipeline to Bulawayo.”

Dr Masuka said the meeting was meant to synthesise the very best of ideas to ensure that the dam is completed on time. “As you come here don’t think that you are here to support the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, although we appreciate that, that is not what you are here for.

“You are here each and collectively to be part of this great vision of this Government, so as you work don’t say you are contributing to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s target,” he said.

“You are contributing to a broader and higher vision of our President. I highlighted to the President the day before yesterday that we will have government officials on the ground on Wednesday and yesterday you had full days to go through the elements of this major project.”

Minister Moyo said the meeting was important as it enabled various departments to speak to issues that are stalling progress. – @nqotshili

Article Source: The Chronicle