Zimbabwe’s government has announced a significant step forward in its commitment to supplying water to parched regions of northern South Africa. Starting soon, about 15 million cubic liters of water will be dispatched monthly from the massive Zhovhe Dam in Beitbridge, despite challenges that have delayed the construction of a crucial pipeline since 1995.
The project, funded by a US$25 million grant from Kuwait received nearly three decades ago, aims to not only supply water to Beitbridge but also support irrigation schemes in surrounding communal areas. Despite the completion of Zhovhe Dam, one of Zimbabwe’s largest reservoirs with a capacity of 133 million cubic liters, the local communities have yet to see the benefits, with many villagers still reliant on food aid.
The proposed pipeline, running through areas including Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s Mtetengwe home, aims to transform the lives of approximately 40,000 residents by providing access to irrigated land. However, the last update on the Kuwaiti fund mentioned plans were still in the design phase, with beneficiary irrigation schemes being identified.
Currently, water from Zhovhe Dam is used to recharge an alluvial aquifer in the lower Mzingwane River, benefiting a limited number of commercial farms engaged in citrus production. This has led to frustration among locals, as expressed by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development minister Anxious Masuka. “Zhovhe Dam is idle and not making any sense to villagers who should be having plots under irrigation,” Masuka stated, emphasizing the need to construct the pipeline and unlock 4,000 hectares of irrigable land.
The initial exports to Musina, South Africa, will utilize water from Zhovhe Dam, with plans to eventually source from the Runde-Tende Dam, a future project poised to be twice the size of the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam. The construction of this pipeline, awarded to Italian company Salini, which previously worked on Zhovhe and Tugwi-Mukosi dams, is expected to foster agricultural development along its route to South Africa, creating a greenbelt in Beitbridge, Chivi, and Mwenezi.
With discussions between Zimbabwe and South Africa set to continue, the multi-million dollar deal, sealed almost four years ago, is finally seeing progress. “We will soon meet with our South African counterparts to discuss the stages of the deal,” Masuka revealed, highlighting plans to also expand irrigation in Beitbridge to benefit communal farmers.
As Zimbabwe hosts provincial ministers to rally support for agricultural projects aimed at revitalizing the economy, the promise of water export to South Africa and enhanced local irrigation presents a beacon of hope.
