The Kunzvi Dam, located northeast of Harare, is currently progressing well, with the dam already 33 percent constructed, and scheduled for commissioning in 2026.
The first Harare water supply reservoir that is not on the Manyame River is the US$109 million Kunzvi Dam, which is situated on the opposite side of the metropolitan region from Morton Jaffray Water Works and Lakes Chivero as well as Manyame.
The construction of Kunzvi Dam has been continuously postponed, mostly due to financial issues and the misguided belief that the water sources already available were adequate.
As the Second Republic keeps its promises to transform the nation into an upper middle-income economy by 2030, in accordance with the National Development Strategy 1, and without leaving any place behind in development, significant progress has been seen in the construction over the past year.
Davis Marapira, deputy minister of lands, agriculture, fisheries, water, and rural development, stated during a visit to the dam that the work’s progress has been impressive despite certain obstacles.
Mr. Lianmin Jin, a representative of the contracting company Makomo Engineering, on the other hand, expressed confidence that the deadline for commissioning would be met.
Mr. Brian Muteyaunga, the Zinwa Site Surveyor, said revealed that the main dam’s excavation is at a 17 percent completion rate, the main dam’s embankment placement is at a 15 percent completion rate, and site establishment is at a 90 percent completion rate.
Despite the fact that some families’ relocations are taking longer than expected and slowing them down, he claims that progress is still being made.
Kunzvi dam
Construction of the Kunzvi Dam which is expected to end the water woes will be constructed at the confluence of the Nora and Nyaguwe rivers in the Goromonzi district and falls in a different catchment area from Chivero, Manyame, Seke, and Harava dams that draw their water from the Manyame River.
The project that will be constructed by a Chinese firm, Sino-Hydro will be located about 70 km northeast of the city under a build, operate, and transfer arrangement and is expected to produce 250,000 cubic meters of water for the city daily.
The dam is estimated to cost US $400m to construct but other major works such as laying a pipeline and building new waterworks will push the price to US $680m. As early as the 1990s, the government had intended to build the dam but financial challenges stalled the project.
Harare water woes
Harare serves 2.5 million residents water and an additional 2 million residents from neighboring towns requiring 1200 megalitres a day. The 4 reservoirs Harava Dam, Seke Dam, Lake Chivero, and Lake Manyam located on the Manyame River greatly suffer from pollution.
Harare city officials earlier confirmed that Harare’s water supply dam, Lake Chivero is left with a limited 18 months supply. This is brought by the siltation, droughts, and algae that have also affected the water quality. Water rationing was introduced in order to manage the available resources.
Reported on June 21, 2016
Construction of a Major dam in Zimbabwe to get Chinese funding
Construction of a Major dam in Zimbabwe is likely to get Chinese funding after the country sent a delegation to China to participate in discussions for a deal to finance the construction and incorporation of the dam- Kunzvi Dam-into the city’s water supply system.
The Major dam in Zimbabwe will be constructed at the confluence of the Nora and Nyaguwe rivers in the Goromonzi district and falls in a different catchment area from Chivero, Manyame, Seke, and Harava dams that draw their water from the Manyame Rivers.
It is targeted that upon completion, the dam will help ease water problems of water shortage experienced by residents of Chitungwiza, Harare, Ruwa, and Norton, having been on the drawing board from as far back as the 1990s.
The then Department of Water Development came up with the idea of the construction of a new water reservoir on the Nyaguwe River to supply water to Harare and its satellite towns.
Mrs. Josephine Ncube, the acting town clerk has confirmed the development but said the deal was being facilitated by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate.
“A delegation left on Saturday led by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate. I am not preview to the details,” she said.
The Human Resources and General Purposes Committee recently authorized Engineer Hosiah Chisango the water distribution manager, and another engineer from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing.
Earlier in January this year, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri the Environment, Water, and Climate Minister, led a delegation of water experts to the Netherlands to look for investment in the water sector.
This trade mission was funded and organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN).
In the same month, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri announced the finalizing of the Chinese firm Sino Hydro and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (zinwa) agreement for the construction of Kunzvi Dam.
She said that zinwa and Sino Hydro were entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the dam to be constructed under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement.
However, it is uncertain whether Sino Hydro is the company that will meet the Government and council representatives.
Reported on August 15, 2021
Construction of Kunzvi Dam in Zimbabwe to begin this year
Construction works on the Kunzvi Dam project in Zimbabwe is set to commence this year. Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Minister Aplonia Munzverengwi made the revelations and said feasibility studies on the project are complete.
The Provincial Affairs Minister also pointed out that US $259m has been allocated for the project in the 2020 National Budget. The overall cost of the project is US $680m.
“We expect the construction of the dam to start this year after Government committed to funding the project. The project was in line with the devolution exercise, which was expected to change the face of the surrounding communities, the province, and the country at large,” she said.
Reported on October 20, 2021
Kunzvi Dam Construction moves forward in Zimbabwe
A baseline and flood survey is currently underway to calculate the number of households that will be displaced due to the Kunzvi Dam Construction, and a traditional ceremony has been planned to celebrate the start of work on the multimillion-dollar project.
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The project is part of the Second Republic’s infrastructure development program, which includes an emerging road restoration program, the most recent of which is the building of the Mbudzi roundabout interchange to relieve traffic congestion.
The Kunzvi Dam Construction is expected to deliver portable water to Harare, Chitungwiza, and the surrounding areas, putting an end to Harare’s chronic water shortages as the city’s population grows.
In an interview, Mrs. Marjorie Munyonga, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), described several operations currently underway in Mashonaland East in relation to the construction of the Kunzvi Dam.
The Kunzvi Dam Construction project has officially started, with a number of preparatory works currently ongoing or finished. The baseline cross-sectional surveys are now complete, and high-flood surveys are currently being conducted to determine how many households may be forced to migrate. Munyonga went on to explain that after the statistics are calculated, the information would be forwarded to the proper authorities for compensation and relocation.
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works will be in charge of relocating and compensating impacted residents.
The demolition of foundations on the left bank, which has covered 2,6 hectares, is another ongoing project. River sand is being accumulated as well. Core trench soft excavation has commenced while the contractor’s housing is being constructed.
She claimed that all events related to the Dam’s construction, including the relocation of impacted homes, were previously known to the Murehwa and Goromonzi District Development Coordinators.
The Zimbabwean Procurement Regulatory Authority (PRAZ) has awarded a contract to Nanchang Engineering of China to construct the Kunzvi Dam, which has been in the works for several years and is expected to be completed in 39 months.
Nanchang Engineering‘s executive chairman, Mr. Liangming Jin, indicated that the business was dedicated to finishing the project on schedule.
The Kunzvi Dam is a world-record-breaking project from the Second Republic. Another significant project that has begun is the Mbudzi Roundabout, which will ease traffic congestion between Chitungwiza Road, High Glen, and Beatrice Road.
