Zimbabwean towns, including the capital Harare, have struggled with water supply problems for years. The governing ZANU-PF party and the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), which as the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) controlled most of the urban authorities in the last two decades, blame each other for the poor service delivery woes. The water problem features prominently in every election campaign.
Dam construction is part of the big–ticket promises on infrastructure projects which ZANU-PF trots out routinely during vote campaigns, sometimes without detailed reference to previous promises. The Zimbabwe government has fulfilled some promises on the construction of dams while others have gone unfinished for decades. The dissonance between campaign promises and implementation remains a recurring theme as political campaigns go full swing.
In 2021, the government announced that it had set aside ZWL$10 billion for the development of 10 major dam projects as part of long term plans to support small-holder agricultural irrigation, boost food and agricultural production and to harness water for industrial and domestic use in major towns, cities and growth points.
The government says the dam construction drive also aims to climate-proof agriculture and reduce heavy reliance on rain-fed farming.
ZimFact lays out the facts for Zimbabwe’s 10 major dam projects under construction:
Kunzvi Dam (Estimated cost: US$109 million)
District: Goromonzi district (confluence of the Nora and Nyagui rivers)
Capacity: 158,4 million cubic meters
Projected use: Augment the capital, Harare water supplies
Contractor: China Nanchang Engineering
Start of construction: Planned since the mid-1990s, construction only started in 2021. Dam completion was initially set for 1996 and it was expected to start supplying water by 2000.
Promised completion date: Duration of project (39 months) 3-years three months
Status: 8% complete (Zinwa, Feb 2022)
Gwayi-Shangani Dam
The dam was allocated US$600 million in 2004, US$20 million in 2017 for initial works, as at May 2020 – US$122 million used under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP). Cost estimate US$600m – US$1,2 billion excluding pipeline.
District: Lubimbi, Hwange District, Matabeleland North (Confluence of Gwayi/Shangani Rivers)
Capacity: 635 million cubic meters
Projected use: Water supply to Bulawayo, remainder for irrigation projects along water pipeline & generate 6MW of electricity
Contractor: China International Water and Electric Corporation, subsidiary of the giant China
Three Gorges Corporation (CTE)
Start of construction: Identified in 1912 as solution to Bulawayo water woes, abandoned several
times due to the high costs. Started 2004 by China International Water
Electrical, but abandoned due to lack of funding.
Promised completion date: 2019 deadline missed, pushed to December 2022
Status: 59% complete (Zinwa Dec, 2021)
Semwa Dam (allocated ZLW$750 million in 2021 & total estimated cost is ZLW$3.4 Billion)
District: Mt Darwin (Ruya River)
Size/ capacity: area 4 500km2, full supply capacity of 260 million cubic meters
Projected use: Irrigation, small hydro power plant & water supply to Rushinga and Chimhanda
growth points
Start of construction: Tender awarded in 2006 to China Nanchang, construction work halted
during the hyperinflationary period. Work Resumed 2019
Promised completion date: 2023
Status: (40 percent complete, Zinwa Report 2020)
Silverstroom (Mbada) Dam (Estimated cost US$171 million)
District: Centenary, Mashonaland Central (Musengezi River)
Size/ capacity: 140 million cubic metre capacity
Projected use: Irrigation, water supply –Centenary & Muzarabani, power generation (800 kilowatts)
Contractor: Nancheng Engineering
Start of construction: 2019
Promised completion date: 2022
Vungu Dam (estimated cost US$87 million)
District: Zibagwe, Midlands Province
Size/ capacity:118 million cubic meters
Projected use: irrigation, water supply
Contractor: Grindale Engineering (Private) Limited
Start of construction: 2022, Tender awarded in January 2022
Promised completion date: estimate 2023
Ziminya Dam (Shangani River) estimated cost (US$132 million)
District: Nkayi district, Matabeleland North province
Size/ capacity: 98 million cubic metre
Projected use: Irrigation, livestock, fisheries, water supply to rural service centres
Contractor: Fossil Contracting (Private) Limited
Start of construction: Initially proposed in 1912, Tender awarded January 2022
Promised completion date: estimate 2023
Bindura Dam (estimated cost US$84 million)
District: Bindura District, Mashonaland Central province (Mazowe River)
Size/ capacity: 100 million cubic metres
Projected use: water supply to Bindura, mines & irrigation
Start of construction: Mooted years ago, 2004, suspended due financial constraints, works resumed 2018.
Promised completion date: 2023
Status: (38 percent complete, Sept 2020 – Zinwa)
Dande Dam
District: Guruve, Mashonaland Central (Dande River)
Size/ capacity: 160 million cubic metres
Projected use: Irrigation, water supply Guruve & Mbire, livestock, wildlife, fisheries, 3,6 megawatts.
Contractor: China International Water and Electricity (CIWE)
Start of construction: project started in 2000, stopped for years due to funding constraints, resumed briefly around 2016 and stopped, further works commenced in 2019.
Promised completion date: estimate 2023
Chivhu Dam (estimated cost US$192 million)
District: Chikomba district, Mashonaland East province (Sebakwe River)
Size/ capacity: 26 million cubic meters
Projected use: Irrigation, water supply Chivhu town,
Start of construction: 2019
Promised completion date: 2021 but rolled over to 2022
Status: 83 percent complete (Zinwa Dec 2021)
Tuli-Manyange (Estimated cost US$38 million)
District: Gwanda District, Matabeleland South province
Size/ capacity: 35 million cubic metres
Projected use: Water supply for rural service centres, irrigation and livestock
Contractor: China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE)
Start of construction: Mooted 1960s, project only started in 2006, works suspended for several
years due to financial constraints, resumed again in 2019
Promised completion date: 2022
Sources: Zimbabwe government budget statements (2000-2021), Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), Auditor-General Reports (2005-2015). Cabinet statements.
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