Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume says the city could start receiving water from Kunzvi Dam by the end of October, as he urges authorities to fast-track infrastructure development to avert a worsening water crisis.
This comes as Harare continues to grapple with erratic water supplies, leaving many suburbs dry for weeks.
The Kunzvi project, long delayed, now represents a glimmer of hope—provided the city acts swiftly.
Speaking during the 1935th Ordinary Council Meeting, Mafume outlined a roadmap that hinges on the completion of the long-awaited Kunzvi project, warning that time is running out to prepare for the dam’s commissioning.
“Kunzvi dam project, I’m told, will start accumulating water towards the end of this year. The estimation is that by October, Kunzvi will start impounding water by the end of October,” Mafume said.
“What that means is that we should be having a plan on how that water is conveyed from Kunzvi, how that water is going to be purified, and how that water is distributed to the residents of Harare.”
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To that end, the City of Harare is engaging the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) over land required for the construction of a purification plant.
“We had to meet with Zinwa, where we’re asking for land for them to build a purification plant,” Mafume said.
“Now, this purification plant will be surrendered to the City of Harare on completion. So, we are not, in fact, just giving them land for free.”
He emphasized that the plant would serve as a vital asset for the capital, directly benefiting residents.
“We are giving them land to build a plant that will be used by the residents of Harare and will primarily be used by the City of Harare,” he said.
“This is government’s contribution towards the water situation in Harare. So, inshallah, if that goes well, we should do that.”
Mafume called for urgency in implementing supporting infrastructure, including pipelines and a reconfigured water distribution system.
“We want to accelerate the plans of building that process. We also want to accelerate the plans of building the pipeline and also to then alter our distribution network to be able to give relief water to those areas.”
He also cited other medium-to-long-term initiatives such as Musami Dam and the Chekeranwa pipeline as part of the broader effort to stabilise Harare’s water supply.
“They will thereafter build Musami Dam, which will give the same equivalent of water, which will take a bit more years, but this one (Kunzvi) is closer to us,” said the mayor.
With several moving parts, Mafume stressed the need for regular updates and oversight from the relevant council departments.
“A lot of things are happening in the water, and I think reports should be made to the WASH committee to be able to deal with these things and monitor them.”
