Zambezi project: Only permanent solution to Bulawayo water woes

 BY SILAS NKALA

MORE than a century ago in 1912, people of Matabeleland were promised that they will draw water from the Zambezi River, through the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (MZWP).

Every year, they have been hoping that this massive project, which will draw water from Gwayi-Shangani Dam will materialise.

But it has proved to be just a hoax as Matabeleland and Bulawayo continue to suffer perennial water shortages. The project was mooted more than a hundred years ago during the colonial era. It was later to be adopted by the Zanu government after independence in 1980.

Despite the hope that this water project was going to be the panacea to the Matabeleland and Bulawayo perennial water problems, the water situation in the region has further worsened and is exacerbated by an increase in population in the region.

Bulawayo Water Action group secretary Khumbulani Maphosa, who is also the co-ordinator for the Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights, blamed the failure to complete the water project on what he termed as “hydro-politics”.

Maphosa said in 1912, the total cost of the project was estimated at 60 000 pounds only. It was expensive then.

“Twenty years later, then Rhodesian Prime Minister Godfrey Huggins said the country couldn’t afford the 60 000 pounds needed for the project.

“Similar cost justification was given in the 1950s by Prime Minister Edgar Whitehead when 60 000 pounds was then proposed cost for the project,” Maphosa said.

“Fast track it to now, we are told of progress being stalled due to lack of funding, or that the contractor has downed tools due to lack of funding,” he said.

Maphosa opines that the issue of funding is now being used as a scapegoat for failure to implement the project.

He said there was no excuse for failing to implement the MZWP because government had ensured that similar water projects like Tugwi-Mukosi were fully implemented and well-funded.

Maphosa said government was also showing seriousness in funding the construction of the new Parliament Building at a cost of US$140 million, which means that the issue is about priorities and the MZWP is not among top priority projects.

In his 2021 National Budget statement, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube allocated $4,5 billion towards the Gwayi-Shangani Dam for its completion.

But Maphosa said the money would be affected by inflation, as well as Treasury’s failure to disburse the financial allocations on time, and lack of transparency in terms of disclosure of the final cost of the project.

He said the water shortages in Matabeleland and Bulawayo were now a human rights issue.

“The government needs to be held accountable both locally and internationally because the realisation and fulfilment of the right to water (for potable and development use) is not only guaranteed in the Constitution of Zimbabwe but also in international laws which Zimbabwe is signatory to.

Bulawayo and Matabeleland (like the rest of Zimbabwe) have a water crisis because a serious leadership crisis is manifesting itself in water shortages.”

The human rights defender also decried the fact that people are made to pay for water from estimated bills, which he described as “robbing citizens of their hard-earned money”.

He said there was no reason why government should fail to ensure the completion of MZWP because one of Zimbabwe’s neighbours — Botswana completed a 450-kilometre Zambezi water pipeline four years ago, and was in the process of completing another 100-kilometre pipeline.

“Namibia, Egypt and Botswana are all located in desert areas but they are able to provide their citizens with water. That is a sign of good leadership. Ours is a leadership crisis because the Victoria Falls is on the Zambezi River, but the country suffers from water problems. It is a leadership problem,” he said.

Maphosa said the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) should be disbanded as it was a failed entity which was wasting the country’s resources.

“We also need to build the capacity of residents to force their elected officials to hold the executive to account over water issues. As long as residents are not holding the government accountable, there won’t be any progress. Right now we are told that $4,5 billion has been allocated for Gwayi-Shangani dam.

“We need our councillors and MPs to establish whether it is enough, how much will be disbursed and when, as well as the project completion timelines.”

He said civil society, elected representatives and citizens were to blame for failing to demand water rights.

“Civic society and the media as the fourth estate have failed to hold politicians and government accountable. As part of agenda setting, they need to galvanise the residents to non-violently demand that this project be prioritised and completed,” he said, adding that the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project was a national priority.

National Consumer Rights Association (Nacora) advisor Effie Ncube said the only reason why the MZWP had not been implemented was to ensure the Matabeleland region remained marginalised.

“They know that without water Matabeleland will forever remain poor and they want it that way. Remember water is not only essential for the day-to-day lives of the people but it is also a key driver of economic development. “There is no meaningful economic activity that can take place without adequate water supply. Very little resources have been channelled towards the start and completion of the project. It is all talk, yet there is no budgetary action.

“The little that has been directed to the project is only enough for a few boreholes, not a project of the size and complexity that the Zambezi Water Project is,” Ncube said.

He said the water problems in Matabeleland and Bulawayo would result in food insecurity, lack of jobs and poverty, and diseases such as cholera and dysentery.

Ncube said dealing with pandemics like COVID-19 would be impossible without water.

“Zanu PF doesn’t care and will never care. Therefore, if people want to see the Zambezi Water Project coming to fruition they must vote Zanu PF out of power,” he said.

Ncube said the water pipes were also too old, and needed refurbishment, adding that this requires political will.

“We need to put aside tens or hundreds of millions of US dollars every financial year, and to ensure we have the right people winning the tenders, not the usual political crooks that are milking the country dry.”

The consumer rights activist said at its completion, the Zambezi Water Project should have canals and pipelines connecting Binga and even Beitbridge.

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister Richard Moyo, who is also the Zanu PF provincial chairman, dismissed the claims that government was to blame for the project delays.

He claimed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s new dispensation constructed the Gwayi-Shangani Dam to 40% completion a few years after coming into power.

“Remember that the Zambezi Water Project was started over one hundred years ago, but also take note that the first brick of the project was laid by the new dispensation. Maybe the old dispensation can be blamed for the delay. We expect the project to be complete by end of this year,” Moyo said.

He said the project had been stalled by the COVID-19 lockdown regulations which forced the contractor to cease operations and go back to China.

“If not for the lockdown, they would have completed it by now.”

Moyo said government released US$58 million, $200 million and $600 million towards the construction of the project, bringing the whole funding to $800 million and US$58 million.

But Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust (MZWT) chairman Richard Ndlovu said the delays in the completion of the project were due to shortage of funds.

The political leadership has realised the importance of the project to the region and the country at large in terms of the economy,” Moyo said.

“The delays might have been due to politics in the past, but now it’s beyond that. The new dispensation is committed to complete the project. Mnangagwa is a listening president. In two years time I see this project being completed,” Moyo said

In 2018, MZWT chief executive Sarah Ndhlovu revealed that US$2 billion was needed to complete the phase linking Bulawayo to the Zambezi, including the Gwayi-Shangani Dam.

The government involved MZWT in the adjudication process of appointing the contractor, China International Water and Electric (CWE), which Ndhlovu said had been on site since the inception of the project.

She said Zinwa was provided engineers, adding that the Gwayi-Shangani Dam was 30% complete.

Ndhlovu said at that time, expenditure for the project was estimated at US$10 million and it had been allocated US$23 million in the 2018 national budget.

The multi-million-dollar project is earmarked to end Bulawayo’s perennial water problems and to create a green belt in the drought-prone Matabeleland region through irrigation agriculture along the pipeline linking the dam and Bulawayo.

In March 2018, Mnangagwa pledged to do everything in his ability to ensure the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project was complete by 2019.

However, his promise never materialised.

Now it is being said that an estimated US$53 million is required to complete the Gwayi Shangani Dam project.

Last year, Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni said the water crisis in Bulawayo reflected the realities of a drought, adding that there should be no blame game.

He said council wrote to government asking that Bulawayo be declared a critical water shortage zone.

“This would inform our domestic and international appeal for funding in our water augmentation drive. We all await the said declaration,” Mguni said.

Development analyst Mandla Khanye said the water crisis in Matabeleland needed people across ethnic boundaries to commit themselves to ensure the project is completed.

“In the past Bulawayo has been the industrial and commercial nerve centre of the country. But that has been taken away from it. To restore that, Bulawayo needs to capture and establish a leadership with courage and commitment, so as to create conducive conditions for growth and expansion. An area crying out for attention is the development of a reliable water source for the city,” Khanye said.

He said foreign direct investment could not be possible without water.

Khanye said MZWP had the potential to change the economic dynamics in Zimbabwe by boosting the national economy.

Source: Zambezi project: Only permanent solution to Bulawayo water woes (22/01/21)

Victoria Falls rations water

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls has started rationing water as the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) is struggling to provide enough supplies due to a broken-down pump.

Zinwa is responsible for pumping bulk raw water from the Zambezi River into a reservoir from which the Victoria Falls Municipality treats and distributes to residents.

For the past two weeks, residents in some parts of Victoria Falls have been accessing the precious liquid only at night, at a time when it is important to access water for hand-washing to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Victoria Falls Municipality public relations and economic development officer Mr Ngqabutho Moyo said less water was being purified which has led to rationing.

“We are having erratic water supplies because we are experiencing challenges of supplies of raw water from the river due to a Zinwa water pump breakdown. This has led to less water being purified and a failure to meet demand. As a result, water is being rationed to ensure that every part of the town gets water,” said Mr Moyo.

He said council is engaging Zinwa to rectify the challenge as a matter of urgency.

The municipality is also working on rolling out a $12 million Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) programme to improve water management.

Zinwa, which has over the years come under fire from Victoria Falls residents over recurrent erratic water supplies, has said it is attending to the breakdown.

The water authority’s corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said repairs were under way to address the problem.

“Victoria Falls raw water pump house operates with two pumps. Only one pump operates at a time while the other will be on standby. Currently the duty pump is broken down and the standby pump is pumping between 740 cubic metres and 750 cubic metres against a demand of between 800 cubic metres and 850 cubic metres per day,” said Mrs Munyonga.

“Repairs to the duty pump are underway with installation of a new electric motor already completed. This will pave way for the reintroduction of the duty pump, which will help restore normal supplies to the town.”

She said the standby pump was installed to ensure constant supplies to Victoria Falls.

“The logic behind the two pumps is to ensure that pumping is maintained even in the event of the duty pump breaking down or being serviced.

“Zinwa has ably supplied sufficient quantities of raw water to Victoria Falls,” added Mrs Munyonga.-@ncubeleon

Source: Victoria Falls rations water (09/06/20)

Victoria Falls council wins water fight with ZINWA

THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has finally given in to pressure and handed over water management rights to the Victoria Falls Municipality, putting to rest a battle that had dragged for years.

ZINWA was responsible for pumping raw water from Zambezi River into a reservoir from where the council distributes to residents.

Faced with anger from residents, the local authority sought to be given rights to pump, treat and distribute water on its own, accusing the water authority of lacking capacity.

Council has been failing to provide enough water in the resort town, resulting in residents enduring long periods with dry taps.

The local authority petitioned Local Government Minister July Moyo who responded last year by sending a commission to assess its preparedness to manage the responsibility.

Municipal management had argued that Zinwa had besides material resources, limited human resource in the Gwayi Catchment area which also covers Hwange and Victoria Falls.

Town Clerk Ronnie Dube confirmed last Thursday during a full council meeting that government had finally allowed the council to run its own water affairs.

“We have a letter from the Ministry which talks about devolution of water supply and waste water management function from ZINWA to Victoria Falls Municipality,” said Dube while reading the letter.

He said a taskforce from ZINWA and the ministries of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and that of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Settlement will be sending a team to conduct a handover on Tuesday.

According to the letter, ceding of water rights by ZINWA is in line with the Mnangagwa’s administration’s devolution approach.

The current crop of Victoria Falls councillors could have made history for themselves for presiding over a term of office when the local authority finally won the battle against ZINWA.

Mayor Somvelo Dlamini said: “We have managed to rescue our water rights from ZINWA. This is a huge success which needs to be commended on councillors and management.”

The municipality looks forward to implementing a $12 million WASH programme which seeks to expand the water system infrastructure and supply.

Source: Victoria Falls council wins water fight with ZINWA (05/02/19)

Engineer proposes alternative Zambezi water project design

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls

A LOCAL engineering company has come up with a “smart” multi-million project design to draw raw water from the mighty Zambezi River to supply industry as well as export to neighbouring countries.

The design, named the Victoria Falls Gorges Green Power Project (VFGGPP), rides on the existing railway line and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) infrastructure, with a pipeline linking the Zambezi River Basin (ZRB) to Bulawayo-Botswana and South Africa along the railway line.

The design aims to cut the estimated $2 billion project cost by 50 percent and is a proposed alternative to the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP), which has failed to take off since it was mooted in 1912.

The long awaited water project is meant among other things, to create a green belt stretching from Matabeleland North province to Bulawayo.

NMZWP is regarded as the panacea to water problems in Matabeleland Region with Sadc countries south of the Zambezi River also looking up to the project.

SouthPole Consulting Private Limited (SC), which was a fortnight ago awarded the Presidential Award of Distinction for outstanding research in the area of Renewable Energy by the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) in respect of the project, has concluded the design.

Engineer Tendai Tidings Musasa, the brains behind the project, said the modern Smart-Water-Grid (SWG)/smart technology project will cost far less than the NMZWP, which requires about $2 billion, with the pilot stage to commence mid-year requiring only $25 million.

Eng Musasa said besides providing local industry and export with raw water, the project is an infrastructure retrofit for National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) as the pipeline will ride on already available railway equipment. He said the railway line is integral in the project as it provides readily available infrastructure needed.

“The idea came as I was pondering about how I can draw water to my farm. Seeing that I have to pump from the river then I realised this can be an alternative to NMZWP. In our design we have included the railway line because there will be need for an efficient transport system like railway to transport produce from command agriculture, for instance,” said Eng Musasa.

“The railway design matches the pipeline design as there are signal rooms, which are no longer being used and these will be used as pump houses. As engineers, it is up to us to innovate and come up with cost effective projects.

“This is why we are roping in the rail because it already has infrastructure, which means there won’t be a need for some civil works.”

Eng Musasa said the pipeline will run along the railway line to Botswana and South Africa, which in 2014 – signed a Water Commission Agreement with Zimbabwe targeting the Zambezi River Basin (ZRB) water supply projects.

“The project is basically a rail retrofit design to bring about a 21st century rail network and a Smart – Water – Grid mutual interoperability. The patented design is at least 700km railway servitude on the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo-Plumtree and Bulawayo-West Nicholson-Beitbridge rail routes assisted booster pump network, which will be an average 10km apart,” he said.

Along the pipeline farmers will be able to draw water for irrigation thereby creating a green belt. “The pilot phase of the project which is the feasibility study will start in the second quarter and this will determine the budget which we estimate to be less than $1 billion,” said Eng Musasa.

He said the concept involves planting turbines in water under the Victoria Falls Bridge, which will automatically start generating electricity to be used in powering the pipeline.

“There won’t be need for damming to produce electricity as power will be generated to a pump house. All we are doing is come up with an alternative to exploit the Zambezi Basin to develop the country and Africa,” said Eng Musasa.

Source: Engineer proposes alternative Zambezi water project design (9/3/17)

More: Slow pace of work on Zambezi water project a cause for concern (17/10/15)

Drought taking its toll on Victoria Falls

Tourists staring in wonder at the full force of the Zambezi River cascading over Victoria Falls struggle to believe the region is suffering one of its worst droughts, but local guide Patrick Sakala knows all is not well.

Flows have dropped to 30-year lows at the waterfall straddling Zambia and Zimbabwe’s shared border as poor rains and soaring temperatures take their toll across southern Africa.

“At this time of year, you usually wouldn’t be able to hear me over the thunderous roar,” said Sakala, pointing at rocks piercing through a vast sheet of water dropping 100m, twice the height of Niagara Falls in Canada.

“You wouldn’t see those rocks. You might not see anything because of the smoke all around you,” he added, referring to the clouds of mist thrown up from the swells in the chasm beneath the falls, known locally as “The Smoke That Thunders”.

Downstream, Kariba Lake – the world’s largest man-made reservoir – is only 12 percent full, compared to 53 percent at the same time last year, according to the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA).

Kariba is the water source for a hydroplant which provides Zimbabwe and Zambia with much of their electricity, and power cuts have become a daily occurrence this year.

The plant could stop producing power completely in six months if water levels continue to fall, deepening economic pain and increasing poverty, an official said last month.

“It’s been terrible,” said Gloria Masheka, who runs a guest house in nearby Livingstone.

“The price of everything has gone up, we don’t have electricity for sometimes eight hours a day.

“All people talk about is how they don’t have power and can’t afford food.”

The drought has been blamed on a severe El Niño weather pattern unsettling climates across the world.

On the continent, it is expected to hit 49 million people from Malawi to Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, leaving about 14 million going hungry, the UN World Food Programme says.

African governments are requesting billions of dollars in aid as the unusually dry period ruins farmland, kills cattle and cuts off water supplies.

South Africa is suffering its worst drought in a century, likely to push 50 000 people below the poverty line, according to estimates from the World Bank.

The dams’ levels have dropped 16 percent since October and are expected to take three years to recover.

The dry, hot conditions risk hurting the region’s vital tourism industry as lush safari parks are scorched brown, mighty rivers such as the Zambezi are diminished, and even Victoria Falls loses some of its marvel.

“It’s still spectacular,” said Rory, a US tourist peering off the “knife-edge” bridge which sways high above a winding river gorge under the waterfall.

“It’s sad what the drought has done here. I hope people still come to see this beautiful country.”

Drought taking its toll on Victoria Falls (03/03/16)

Slow pace of work on Zambezi water project a cause for concern

The idea to build a pipeline from the Zambezi River to Bulawayo was first mooted in 1912 by the British colonial rulers of the then Southern Rhodesia after realising that Matabeleland region suffered persistent droughts.

The implementation of the project has been hampered by all sorts of problems since then and its becoming a reality is still a distant dream whose tangible fruits would likely be enjoyed by generations to come, not this one.

The plan to draw water from the great Zambezi, regarded as the sole and permanent solution to the region’s perennial water woes, was to construct a dam with a capacity to hold 691 million cubic metres of water and the pipeline from the Zambezi River linking the dam with Bulawayo.

As per the plan, a green belt which is 30 kilometres wide on either side of the 450km pipeline was to be created and was to see more than five million hectares being put under irrigation.

“At the rate at which that project is progressing, it is likely to take another half-a-century more for it to be reality,” said Zapu spokesperson Mr Methuseli Moyo.

He said the project had suffered from a lot of political tensions and hence progress was slow.
“We have already lost 32 years since independence, as the central Government has done nothing major to take the project forward,” said Mr Moyo.

He said the colonial governments could not be entirely blamed for the slow progression of the water project, as they thought that black people were not desperate for development.

“I think the solution to this problem is for Government to come up with a clear formula to allocate funds to regions or provinces.

“Matabeleland North is rich in hard wood, methane, coal and other resources but these have not helped the region or the project itself, but if we had regional governments, people from Victoria Falls to Beitbridge, given their wealth and water challenges, will prioritise the completion of the project,” said Mr Moyo.

When implemented in full capacity, the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP), as it has become known, could be one of the drivers of the country’s Gross Domestic Product given that it would allow for millions of hectarage to be put under cultivation and other spin-off benefits.

It is worrying to note the snail’s pace at which the project is being undertaken, given the ultimate benefits of NMZWP.

Minister of Industry and Commerce and MDC president Professor Welshman Ncube said the progress of the construction of the project was by far unacceptable even after independence.

“It is very obvious that the project has been very slow and that is why the three parties in the Government of National Unity (Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC) agreed to make it a national project because it is a very big project,” said Prof Ncube.

He said the only solution to ensure that the NMZWP was completed was for Government to take charge of the project.

“It should be treated as a national project to allow Government to allocate meaningful funding towards the project,” said Prof Ncube.

Since 1912, successive governments have failed to implement the project citing high costs but lack of political will has also been cited as one of the major stumbling blocks to the success of the project.
The project was previously being run by the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust with Dr Dumiso Dabengwa as chairman, before the Inclusive Government decided to take over.

Bulawayo United Residents’ Association (Bura) chairperson Mr Winos Dube said the water project had been negatively impacted by political squabbles and the fight for controlling the project.
“What needs to be done is for people to work together because this project, once it is complete, will benefit all Zimbabweans,” said Mr Dube.

He said unity of purpose among political players and the powers that be would be advantageous to the development of the project.

“If people unite, you will see progress in the project because when all is said and done the people need water,” said Mr Dube.

According to a plan by the Ministry of Water Resources and Development, Phase One of this project is the construction of the Gwayi Shangani Dam, Phase Two is the construction of a pipeline from Gwayi Shangani Dam to Bulawayo. Phase Three will be connecting a pipe from Zambezi River to Gwayi Shangani Dam to increase the volume of water in the Gwayi Shangani Dam to enable for the actual pushing of substantial amounts of water from Gwayi Shangani to Bulawayo and the Midlands.
Phase Four will be taking water from Bulawayo through a pipeline or canal to Beitbridge.

As per the plan there will be off-takes along the route as this pipeline travels in Matabeleland North to Bulawayo. There will be some pipes that would branch off from that main pipe to service areas such as Kadoma, Kwekwe and Gweru and there will also be some branches that will take that water to areas like Plumtree and from there it would go to Beitbridge.

Bulawayo Agenda director Mr Thabani Nyoni said the name “Matabeleland” on the project only meant that the region was the chief beneficiary, but has been used to frustrate its progress.
“The project has degenerated to a case of abandonment especially in the national budget. The project has not benefited much from the allocations,” said Mr Nyoni.

He said from the civic society point of view, Matabeleland people should not lobby for the completion of the project by themselves but all stakeholders should play a part.

Water Resources and Development Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo has in the past admitted that no government can do the project on its own, as it was a huge project.

According to Minister Nkomo, the project would require the private sector to partner Government as well as financial institutions from outside the country to chip in and assist bring the project to an end.

Source: Slow pace of work on Zambezi water project a cause for concern (16/10/15)

Water war bubbling up between Zimbabwe and Botswana

Botswana's move to draw water from the Zambezi River without an agreement by all parties to the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) Protocol has sparked a water war with Zimbabwe and other affected countries.

Zimbabwe fears the abstraction of the water from the Zambezi upstream will reduce the downstream flow of the Zambezi affecting the country's premier resort spot - the Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba which generates power for the country.

Details of the dispute which has heated up emerged at a national stakeholders' workshop on the sustainable use of Zimbabwe's wetlands which was held yesterday in the capital.

Participants at the workshop which was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, the Environmental Management Agency and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) heard that Botswana had set up water abstraction works at the confluence of Chobe River and the Zambezi River violating the ZAMCOM Protocol.

The protocol demands that a country should seek the consent of all eight riparian member states (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia and Angola) before it can draw water from the Zambezi River.

"One presenter here said Zimbabwe was not involved in a war over water unlike some countries in the Middle East which once went to war over water, I am afraid that the opposite could be true as a conflict of water is bubbling up," said one senior water expert in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate without naming the country.

"A member of ZAMCOM has taken upon himself to draw water from the Zambezi River without the consent of other parties. The plan by this member will endanger our ecosystem, our wildlife and even the future survival of the Victoria Falls."

"Little did we know that the member state had gone ahead to draw the water despite the fact that Zimbabwe had offered the country to draw water downstream of the Victoria Falls.

"Zimbabwe is preparing itself to go to war over the utilisation of the Zambezi waters!" Media reports indicate that Botswana had for years been considering to negotiate for shared water resources with other riparian states to meet its growing water demands.

The country is said to have pressed ahead with the plan to draw water from the Zambezi after it exhausted all its suitable sites for dam construction.

Botswana has a major water infrastructure that carries water from Letsibogo dam in the northern part of the country to the southern part over a distance of more than 400km to Gaborone. The move to the confluence of the Chobe River and the Zambezi River is an extension of this project.

In an interview with the European Times recently, Botswana's Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Onkokame Kitso Mokaila confirmed his country's plans to tap water from the Zambezi River when asked about how his country sought to ensure adequate supplies of clean water in the coming years.

"We have quite a few dams in northern Botswana but we do not have adequate infrastructure to bring the water to the southern part of the country, so the government has fasttracked development of this infrastructure," he was quoted saying.

"We have negotiated treaties with other countries to tap 495 cubic metres of water from the Zambezi River for agriculture and drinking, and we are in the process of tendering to build the water pipeline."

Environment, Water and Climate Deputy Minister Engineer Simon Musanhu said he was aware of the dispute over the Zambezi waters but did not have full details.

"I do not have the full report as yet but it's about the issue of Botswana drawing water from upstream of the Zambezi for its own use," he said.

"We still don't have much information but we know is that they went ahead to draw water from the Zambezi (allegedly) without the knowledge of other parties.

"It's a sensitive matter and we are still to engage them over the matter."

The dispute has heated up and both sides are said to be engaged in intense discussion to resolve all misunderstandings.

The Zambezi watercourse is of particular importance in the region because it is shared by eight countries with a total population of over 50 million.

Source: Water war bubbling up between Zimbabwe and Botswana - Bulawayo24 (08/08/14)

Zambezi water project, 100yrs still on paper

The Matabeleland Zambezi River Water Project that has been on the cards for 100 years is yet to get off the ground due to the unavailability of funding.

When complete, the water project will bring to an end Bulawayo's water challenges while creating a green irrigation belt in the region.

The project's Advisory Council Chairman, Mr Donald Khumalo expressed worry at the failure to do meaningful work but said they are in talks with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate to ensure work is done on the sites.

He also said it is pleasing to the council that the project has been given priority status in the country's economic blueprint, ZIMASSET, saying it will ensure resources are channeled towards it.

The Senior Minister of State in the President's Office, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo said the government has given the project top priority as espoused in the economic blueprint.

The project is expected to be done in three phases, starting with the construction of the Gwayi-Shangani dam, construction of a pipeline from Gwayi-Shangani to Bulawayo and some areas in Matabeleland South and North provinces, and the construction of a pipeline from Zambezi river to Gwayi-Shangani dam.

Source: Zambezi water project, 100yrs still on paper - Bulawayo24 (04-06-14)

Chobe residents give green light to water extraction from Zambezi

From an article by Gill Staden,
Read the full unedited article here: Drawing water from Chobe River, Botswana

Residents of Kasane have agreed to have water drawn from the Chobe River to meet water demands in other parts of Botswana.

Briefing the residents, Minister Mokaila explained that the report on the consultation that was carried out indicated that Kasane community refused to give the project a green light. Mr. Mokaila explained that feasibility studies had been done to establish if water could be drawn from the river to feed the rest of Botswana without depleting it or negatively impacting on the environment.

He said he was satisfied with the findings and with the blessings of the Chobe community, the project would start soon. He explained that the water would be drawn in line with its seasonal flow cycle and its volume in the river.

"Allowing the country to draw water from the Chobe River would also go a long way in boosting and attracting foreign direct investments as investors need the assurance that there is sufficient water available in the country for investments in such areas as mining," he added.

A Kasane resident, Mr. Sangwana, said the people of Chobe had not rejected the idea of extracting water from the river as the minister was made to believe but they wanted reassurance that this would not disturb the flow cycle and volume of the water.

"The consultants sent here were in no position to answer that as they were clueless about everything we asked, hence we requested a one-on-one consultation with you," he said. Mr. Sangwana warned against relying solely on consultants as they could give misleading information without thorough consultation and analysis.

Source: Drawing water from Chobe River, Botswana

Botswana to Extract Water from Victoria Falls to Meet Growing Demand

The attractiveness of the Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, is under threat if Botswana goes ahead with its planned extraction of large volumes of water from Chobe River for local consumption.

According to media reports from Zimbabwe, Botswana, a neighbour to both Zambia and Zimbabwe wants to use huge volumes of water to meet the growing demand for the essential commodity in that country.

This would affect foreign currency inflows for both Zimbabwe and Zambia which come from tourists who flock to the falls annually to witness the “smoke that thunders” on both sides.

According to eTurboNews, a global travel industry news source, Botswana has notified other southern African countries of its intentions to abstract some 30 cubic metres from the Chobe River.
The water would be abstracted where Chobe River meets the Zambezi River for a planned irrigation scheme in the Pandamatenga area and for domestic water supply.

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Water Resources Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo recently told Parliament in that country that Zimbabwe was considering Botswana’s submission.
He, however, noted the project might have serious repercussions on Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of water in the world, which is 1,708 metres wide.

“They have notified us because the Zamcom (Zambezi Watercourse Commission) agreement requires them to do that and we are now considering their submissions.

Source: Botswana to Extract Water from Victoria Falls to Meet Growing Demand (14 Sept 2013)

Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe threatened by planned Botswana project

The attractiveness for locals and tourism of the mighty Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe and one of the natural wonders of the world, is under threat if Botswana goes ahead with its planned extraction of large volumes of water from Chobe River for use in its interior, a cabinet minister has said. This would affect foreign currency inflows for both Zimbabwe and Zambia pumped in by tourists who throng the falls annually to witness the "smoke that thunders."

Botswana has notified other southern African countries of its intentions to abstract some 30 cubic metres from the Chobe River where it meets the Zambezi River for a planned irrigation scheme in the Pandamatenga area and for domestic water supply.

The Minister of Water Resources Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo recently told parliament that Zimbabwe was considering Botswana's submission.

He, however, noted the project might have serious repercussions on Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of water in the world, which is 1,708 metres wide.

"They have notified us because the Zamcom (Zambezi Watercourse Commission) agreement requires them to do that and we are now considering their submissions," said Sipepa-Nkomo.

"Though more studies may be necessary, it looks like 30 cubic metres is a lot of water which might deprive the attractiveness of the Victoria Falls."Remarkably preserved in its natural state, Victoria Falls inspires visitors as much today as it did to David Livingstone in the 1860s.

Source: Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe threatened by planned Botswana project (10/09/13)

Namibia plans to tap Kavango River to supply Windhoek

Tne Nambibian government has reopened long-term plans to divert water from the Kavango River in the north eastern part of the country to the Van Bach Dam which supplies the capital and economic hub, Windhoek.
Those opposing the idea say it will negatively affect floodwaters flowing into the Okavango Delta.
Under Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Abraham Nehemia last week told natioanl media sources in Namibia that the cost of the project, should it be carried out, would only be determined after an environmental impact study.
“The feasibility study will give us a clearer picture on the design of the project and the costs involved,” he said. Nehemia said Botswana and Angola, the two countries which share the water resource with Namibia, have not objected to the idea of drawing water from the river to the Von Bach Dam. He said although the dam had adequate water levels at the moment, if the country experienced three consecutive droughts the dam would dry up.
The Von Bach Dam, which was constructed in the late 1960s and commissioned in 1970, relies on water from the Swakop River and has a capacity of 48,560 million cubic metres, suppliying Windhoek and Okahandja. In October last year, water utility, NamWater inaugurated the Von Bach-Windhoek Transfer Capacity Increase Project at a cost of N$200 million. This will increase the transfer capacity from 2,700 cubic metres to 5,400 cubic metres.
Statistics obtained from the City of Windhoek, show that the capital has been growing at a rate of between three and five percent since Independence and the demand for water supply to Windhoek has also grown proprtionately. Okahandja has also witnessed tremendous growth because of rural-urban migration as well as other developments. The City of Windhoek consumes about 20 million cubic metres per annum. Extensive use of groundwater for domestic, agricultural and industrial use has resulted in the progressive lowering of the water table.
Source: The Namibian: Long-term plan to tap Kavango river to supply Windhoek http://www.namibian.com.na/news/marketplace/full-story/archive/2013/may/article/long-term-plan-to-tap-kavango-river-to-supply-windhoek/?utm_source=feedly

Botswana project poses fresh threat to Victoria Falls

THE attractiveness of the mighty Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, is under threat if Botswana goes ahead with its planned extraction of large volumes of water from Chombe River for use
in its interior, a cabinet minister has said.

This would affect foreign currency inflows for both Zimbabwe and Zambia pumped in by tourists who throng the falls annually to witness the 'smoke that thunders.'

Botswana has notified other southern African countries of its intentions to abstract some 30 cubic metres from the Chombe River where it meets the Zambezi River for a planned irrigation scheme in the Pandamatenga area and for domestic water supply.

The Minister of Water Resources Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo recently told parliament that Zimbabwe was considering Botswana's submission.

He, however, noted the project might have serious repercussions on Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of water in the world, which is 1,708 metres wide.

"They have notified us because the Zamcom (Zambezi Watercourse Commission) agreement requires them to do that and we are now considering their submissions," said Sipepa-Nkomo. "Though more studies may be necessary, it looks like 30 cubic metres is a lot of water which might deprive the attractiveness of the 

Victoria Falls."

Remarkably preserved in its natural state, Victoria Falls inspires visitors as much today as it did to David Livingstone in the 1860s. The falls and the surrounding area have been declared National Parks and a World Heritage Site, thus preserving the area from excessive commercialisation.

The local people call it 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' - the smoke that thunders.

Presently, Victoria Falls World Heritage Site status is at the centre of huge furore following the construction of a restaurant in the rain forest. The National Parks and Wildlife Authority of Zimbabwe partnered with
Shearwater and constructed a new development within the core zone of the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

During the festive season, more than 14 000 tourists visited the Victoria Falls rainforest while major hotels and lodges were fully booked.

Sipepa-Nkomo said Mozambique had also notified Zimbabwe of its intention to construct Mphanda Nkuwa Dam which is set to generate some 2275MW of electricity for the country. The dam site, which is on the Zambezi River, lies between Cabora Bassa dam and the City of Tete in Mozambique.

"This project is an advantage to Zimbabwe because we can import more power from Mozambique," Sipepa-Nkomo said.

Source: Botswana project poses fresh threat to Victoria Falls (11/01/11)