The Gwayi–Shangani Dam project is now 74% complete, authorities have confirmed, with completion expected to finally resolve Bulawayo’s chronic water shortages.
Information minister Jenfan Muswere described the dam as a critical pillar of the national development agenda.
“This is an engineering marvel, considering the dam was first pegged in 1912, yet not a single brick was laid at this confluence until the advent of the second republic,” he said during a site visit over the weekend.
Designed to resolve Bulawayo’s chronic water shortages, the dam will become Zimbabwe’s third-largest inland water body.
The integrated project includes a 256-kilometre pipeline to supply the city, a 10-megawatt hydro-power station and a planned 10 000-hectare green belt along the pipeline corridor to boost food security and create employment.
Muswere said the dam represented a new engineering and development framework, placing water infrastructure at the centre of economic growth.
“The dam is central to economic integration as it will supply both industrial and domestic water. Part of the water will be pumped to Bulawayo and under our new development framework, every dam must support tourism, provide clean water and generate electricity,” he said.
Muswere highlighted the project’s broad impact on water security, energy generation, tourism and regional economic growth, presenting it as a model for future infrastructure initiatives in Zimbabwe.
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Construction is ongoing, with authorities targeting completion as a key milestone in the country’s development agenda. Once finished, Gwayi–Shangani Dam is expected to offer a long-term solution to Bulawayo’s enduring water challenges.
