News / National
Gwayi-Shangani dam stalls due to funding delays
02 Jul 2025 at 18:12hrs | Views
The delayed construction of the critical 10MW mini-hydropower plant at the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is threatening to derail Zimbabwe's long-term plans to supply water to Bulawayo through a 251km pipeline, amid slow government funding and widening financial gaps.
The hydropower station is designed to be the driving engine of the Gwayi-Shangani water transfer scheme, enabling the pumping of water from the dam to Zimbabwe's second-largest city. However, limited budgetary support has significantly slowed down work, raising concerns over the project's completion timeline.
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, confirmed that Treasury had committed to disbursing US$5 million per month towards the broader Gwayi-Shangani project. Despite this pledge, actual budget allocations for 2025 fall far short of the project's financial needs.
According to the 2025 national budget, only ZWG700 million (approximately US$26 million) has been earmarked for the dam itself, while a further ZWG282 million (around US$10.4 million) was set aside for the construction of the Gwayi–Bulawayo pipeline.
A recent report by Parliament has revealed that at least US$84 million is still required to complete the dam wall, underscoring the severity of the funding gap. Without significant new injections of capital, both the dam and the mini-hydropower plant risk prolonged delays.
The mini-hydropower plant is not merely an energy project; it is central to the water delivery system. Without it, the gravity-fed mechanism to transport water over hundreds of kilometres to Bulawayo cannot be operationalised.
Experts warn that continued underfunding could derail the project's scheduled targets and prolong Bulawayo's chronic water woes. The city has been facing intermittent water rationing for years, and the Gwayi-Shangani project has long been touted as the ultimate solution to its supply challenges.
The financial constraints facing the project are not isolated. The total national budget allocated to all dam construction projects across Zimbabwe for 2025 stands at just US$74 million — significantly less than what is required for Gwayi-Shangani alone.
As the dry season intensifies and water demand rises, calls are mounting for the government to urgently reassess its priorities and secure alternative sources of funding, including concessional loans or public-private partnerships, to complete the Gwayi-Shangani Dam and its vital power component.
With delays compounding, pressure is now on Treasury to turn its monthly disbursement promise into consistent action and ensure the Gwayi-Shangani vision — first conceived decades ago — does not become another stalled mega-project.
The hydropower station is designed to be the driving engine of the Gwayi-Shangani water transfer scheme, enabling the pumping of water from the dam to Zimbabwe's second-largest city. However, limited budgetary support has significantly slowed down work, raising concerns over the project's completion timeline.
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, confirmed that Treasury had committed to disbursing US$5 million per month towards the broader Gwayi-Shangani project. Despite this pledge, actual budget allocations for 2025 fall far short of the project's financial needs.
According to the 2025 national budget, only ZWG700 million (approximately US$26 million) has been earmarked for the dam itself, while a further ZWG282 million (around US$10.4 million) was set aside for the construction of the Gwayi–Bulawayo pipeline.
A recent report by Parliament has revealed that at least US$84 million is still required to complete the dam wall, underscoring the severity of the funding gap. Without significant new injections of capital, both the dam and the mini-hydropower plant risk prolonged delays.
The mini-hydropower plant is not merely an energy project; it is central to the water delivery system. Without it, the gravity-fed mechanism to transport water over hundreds of kilometres to Bulawayo cannot be operationalised.
Experts warn that continued underfunding could derail the project's scheduled targets and prolong Bulawayo's chronic water woes. The city has been facing intermittent water rationing for years, and the Gwayi-Shangani project has long been touted as the ultimate solution to its supply challenges.
The financial constraints facing the project are not isolated. The total national budget allocated to all dam construction projects across Zimbabwe for 2025 stands at just US$74 million — significantly less than what is required for Gwayi-Shangani alone.
As the dry season intensifies and water demand rises, calls are mounting for the government to urgently reassess its priorities and secure alternative sources of funding, including concessional loans or public-private partnerships, to complete the Gwayi-Shangani Dam and its vital power component.
With delays compounding, pressure is now on Treasury to turn its monthly disbursement promise into consistent action and ensure the Gwayi-Shangani vision — first conceived decades ago — does not become another stalled mega-project.
Source - businessdaily.co.zw
