CHITUNGWIZA municipality has approached the government to resuscitate plans to construct a $285 million dam, which was allegedly stifled by former Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, the recently reinstated town clerk, George Makunde has said.
BY ALBERT MASAKA
This comes amid the crippling water challenges facing Zimbabwe’s third most populous urban dwelling, which relies on Harare for its water.
“Plans are there except that it has been an outstanding issue which we faced problems with the ministry,” Makunde told journalists yesterday.
“We did all the preliminaries in terms of wanting us to have our own water source. We submitted all paper work regarding the issue of Muda Dam and also to the joint venture unit in the ministry of Finance. But this did not get a nod from the ministry, which forestalled progress. The then minister did not do justice to our submission. It needs the minister to write and comment positively about the need for Chitungwiza to have its own dam.”
He said former President Robert Mugabe once mentioned in Parliament that Muda Dam, along with Kunzvi and Musami, were set to be constructed, but the project never got the required ministerial approval.
Makunde said council was now working on resuscitating the project and had already spoken to Local Government minister July Moyo to make a resubmission on the proposal
He said the project was going to be in phases structured properly to starting with the repair and improving the existing network.
