Bulawayo’s hopes of securing a lasting solution to its decades-long water crisis are being held back not by a lack of funding or engineering expertise, but by bureaucratic delays that have stalled some of the city’s most critical water infrastructure projects.
Minutes of the future water supplies and water action committee reveal that while key projects such as the Glassblock-Bopoma Dam, the Gwayi-Shangani water scheme and the Umganini groundwater project remain central to Bulawayo’s long term water security, progress has been slowed by lengthy approval processes and unresolved government administrative issues.
The revelations came at a time when the city’s supply dams were holding significantly more water than they did last year, easing immediate fears of shortages but doing little to address Bulawayo’s long-term vulnerability to recurring droughts.
During the committee meeting, councillors sought an update on the city’s water augmentation projects, with committee chairperson councillor Kizito Ndlovu questioning progress on the Emganini Aquifer, Gwayi-Shangani dam and the proposed Glassblock-Bopoma dam.
The director of water and sanitation Similo Ncube said funding was available to expand groundwater exploration at the Emganwini Aquifer after one highly productive borehole had been identified during pilot drilling.
However, he said bureaucratic hurdles had become the biggest obstacle.
“Funding for drilling other boreholes was available, but the major challenge was the lengthy approval processes,” Ncube told the committee.
The council minutes show that three trial boreholes were drilled under a project funded by Dutch water utility VEI following a feasibility study.
While only one borehole produced sufficient yields for large-scale abstraction, engineers believe it could become the blueprint for expanding groundwater development in Bulawayo.
According to the report, if about 20 boreholes with similar performance are developed, they could collectively supply about four megalitres of water a day, helping diversify Bulawayo’s water sources during drought periods.
Council, however, stressed that groundwater was not a replacement for surface water but a strategic supplement capable of improving the city’s resilience to climate change.
The committee also heard that progress on the long-awaited Gwayi-Shangani project remained sluggish despite repeated government assurances that the project would permanently solve Bulawayo’s water shortages.
“Regarding the Gwayi-Shangani dam project, there had been no significant progress on the ground.
“Only the clearing of the 250-kilometre servitude had been completed.
“The only notable progress made was on Pump Station One,” he said.
The latest progress report presented to councillors indicated that the dam itself was about 75% complete, with water impoundment expected to begin this year.
However, no work was underway on the crucial 252-kilometre pipeline that will eventually transport raw water from the dam to Bulawayo.
Delays have also continued to dog the proposed Glassblock-Bopoma dam and pipeline project, another key component of Bulawayo’s long-term water strategy.
Town clerk Christopher Dube told councillors progress remained slow as government institutions continued to deliberate on the project’s implementation model.
He said discussions involving the African Development Bank, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) and the City of Bulawayo had focused on identifying the appropriate project partner and resolving outstanding issues surrounding government guarantees.
“The remaining step was for the ministry to confirm support to the project leading to the conclusion of the water purchase agreement,” Dube said.
The committee heard that confirmation of government support would unlock legal processes, financing arrangements and detailed implementation plans for the project.
The council report describes the Glassblock-Bopoma dam as a strategic priority for Bulawayo’s medium-to long-term water augmentation programme, with progress now dependent on government approvals rather than technical planning.
The delays come despite encouraging improvements in the city’s current water situation.
As of mid-June, Bulawayo’s six supply dams were 67,95% full, holding more than 281 million cubic metres of water about 22,6 percentage points more than during the same period last year.
