THE GOVERNMENT has come under fire for deliberately stalling the long-mooted Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (MZWP) by ignoring its funding in contrast to infrastructural development promoted by the new economic blueprint ZimAsset. MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Under ZimAsset, the government is expected to complete the long-awaited Kunzvi Dam (Mashonaland East), Chivhu Dam (Masvingo) and Tuli-Manyange Dam (Matabeleland South).
The project has been left at the mercy of non-governmental organisations with the Environment, Water and Climate ministry doing nothing about the bid to draw water for Bulawayo from the Zambezi River.
The project gained a bit of momentum during the coalition government era when the then MDC-T Water Affairs minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo set up a new Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust (MZWT) to spearhead funding to make the more than 100-year-old proposed project a reality.
Environment, Water and Climate minister Saviour Kasukuwere terminated the call when Southern Eye asked him what plans the ministry had for the project on Wednesday.
The ministry’s permanent secretary Prince Mupazviriho said the ministry had nothing to do with MZWP and referred all questions to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
“Why don’t you check with Zinwa because they are the ones in charge of that project and they are the government’s agent?” Mupazviriho said before hanging up.
MZWT chairperson Donald Khumalo said they were waiting for the government to take the initiative on the project.
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“The hope that the project would be completed is there, but we as the advisory board are waiting for the government to give us direction,” he said.
During the campaign period in the run-up to the July 31 elections, President Robert Mugabe promised the people of Bulawayo and Matabeleland that Zanu PF would bring water to the region and restore the city’s yesteryear status as the industrial hub of the country.
However, there are serious doubts the project would be funded as repeated efforts by the government — which is broke and struggling to lure investors wary of its controversial empowerment policy — to secure loans have so far hit a brickwall.
