CONSTRUCTION OF U.S.$109M KUNZVI DAM GATHERING PACE IN ZIMBABWE

Construction work at the Kunzvi Dam in Zimbabwe is gathering pace as the excavation of the dam foundation has reached an advanced stage.

The project located at Goromonzi district, which is worth US$109 million is now 8% completion with more work still left to be done after stalling for two decades.

The progress was made known after a site visit by officials from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.

According to the plan, it is to provide a direct feeds into the northern and eastern suburbs as it is now an active project following an award of the tender to China’s Nancheng Engineering last year as the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa walks its talk to turn the country into an upper middle income economy by 2030 in line with the National Development Strategy1 (NDS1).

Meanwhile, China has been instrumental in funding and constructing Zimbabwe’s infrastructural projects in energy, telecommunication and transport, chief among them the expansion of Robert Gabriel International Airport and new Parliament Building in Mount Hampden.

The project is poised to transform lives of local communities together with Harare, Chitungwiza and surrounding areas through provision of water. 

Zinwa officials who are superintending the project had moved in the communities together with officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works for the process to enumerate affected families. Zinwa is the project manager while the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works are charged with the process of relocating families.

Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga during an interview said the process was going on well as it now stood at eight percent complete.

She noted that work currently underway at the dam site include the construction of site roads, site establishment, excavation of the main dam and main dam embankment placing.

“Compilation of the households affected by the construction of the dam is also in progress with enumeration of households on the left bank which the Goromonzi side having commenced today, and expected to be complete within seven calendar days. The enumeration of households on the right bank, which is the Murehwa side is expected to start on Friday, February 25, 2022 and will also take seven days to complete,” she said.

Nanchang executive chairman, Mr Liangming Jin said he remained optimistic that the work would be completed within the agreed period of 39 months.

With the contractor on site, local workers are expected to be recruited from Goromonzi and Murehwa, as it will be a huge relief for many lives.

Kunzvi Dam is situated on the confluence of the Nora and Nyagui rivers in Goromonzi and the contract includes the dam, treatment works and the pipeline.

Commencement of the works at the site put an end to a two decade wait of Kunzvi Dam project which had failed to take off under the previous political dispensation.

SOURCE: The Herald