Bulawayo’s plans to secure an additional water source have hit fresh government red tape with the city still seeking clarity from ministries over the implementation of the long-delayed Glass Block Bopoma Dam project.
The impasse centres on the proposed Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement, a US$100 million public-private partnership (PPP) model backed by a private consortium led by local construction firm J.R. Goddard Contracting and prominent finance house Promethean Storey.
Under the proposed 20- to 25-year BOT framework, the private consortium is set to finance, build, and temporarily operate the bulk supply infrastructure before hand-back to the municipality.
However, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has raised legal concerns over the structure in a development the city says could undermine efforts to secure private financing and delay implementation.
The latest council report, presented on August 24, said the ministry had engaged the city over a draft water purchase agreement (WPA), with its legal department raising concerns about the proposed BOT structure.
The city responded by pointing to correspondence from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) dated May 5, 2026, confirming that the ministry responsible for water had previously authorised council to implement the Glass Block Bopoma Dam and Pipeline Project.
Zinwa, however, clarified that its role was primarily regulatory, ensuring that the project complies with technical and safety requirements under the Water Act.
The latest wrangle has now left the city seeking intervention from another government ministry.
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“Given the strategic importance of the project to the long-term water security of Bulawayo and the Matabeleland region, the City had requested the ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development to formally communicate its position to the ministry of Local Government and Public Works,” the report said.
According to the council, such communication would “eliminate institutional ambiguity, strengthen confidence among financiers and development partners, improve inter-governmental coordination, and support the timely implementation” of the project.
The Glass Block Bopoma Dam, located along the Umzingwane River in Filabusi, Matabeleland South, is being pursued as a medium-term solution to Bulawayo’s chronic water shortages.
The ambitious project entails the construction of a 13-metre-high concrete-faced rockfill dam wall along with a dedicated 41-kilometre bulk pipeline linking the reservoir directly to the city’s Ncema Water Treatment Works.
The project was conceived decades ago and has repeatedly been delayed by funding, bureaucratic and partnership challenges.
The proposed dam is expected to hold about 129 million cubic metres and supply roughly 68-70 megalitres of water a day to Bulawayo.
Its revival has been viewed as critical because Bulawayo has not had a major new supply dam since 1994 after the construction of Mtshabezi dam.
The city’s existing primary reservoirs, Inyankuni, Lower Ncema, Upper Ncema, Umzingwane, and Insiza, were built between 1943 and 1975 and have come under increasing pressure from rapid urban growth, siltation, and severe El Niño-induced droughts.
The latest council report suggests that, despite renewed efforts to move the project forward, institutional disagreements remain a major hurdle.
In May, the city was already engaged in negotiations with government officials and the Glass Block Bopoma Dam consortium over the water purchase agreement, with the African Development Bank (AfDB) also involved in discussions.
The city said the agreement would inform the next steps towards implementation.
The latest dispute over the BOT model comes at a critical time for Bulawayo, which is also relying on the much larger Lake Gwayi-Shangani project, part of the century-old National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project for its long-term water security.
As at June 30, the Gwayi-Shangani dam itself was 80% complete, but the water intake tower was only 10% complete, according to the council report.
