Harare — GOVERNMENT has taken over ownership and management of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, effectively making the project a national scheme.

Water Development and Management Minister Sipepa Nkomo announced the takeover of the project from the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust at a Press conference yesterday.

He said the takeover meant MZWP had assumed the political will, which had been lacking.

He was hopeful the move would help overcome the challenges that dogged the project over the years.

"The decision means the MZWP effectively becomes a Government project in terms of both leadership and management. It ceases to be a regional one with Government being the accountable authority," he said.

"The project has assumed the much-needed political will that was lacking all along. We are hopeful that this would remove the many bottlenecks the project encountered over the years."

Minister Nkomo said lack of clear funding procedure had resulted in the delay in implementation of the project, which is one of the reasons government was taking over.

Although Government had no money to commence the project, Minister Nkomo said, discussions were on with private players that were willing to join central government in implementing the project.

"Apart from the funding and project implementation issues, there were other important issues in the project, which could not be left in private hands," he said.

"These include water allocation to the various sectors from the conveyance system, water pricing and adherence to operational standards among others.

"Our biggest commitment from now onwards will be to mobilise resources both financial and technical for the implementation of the project including the completion of the Gwayi-Tshangani Dam."

Government, Minister Nkomo said, would start consultative meetings with the affected communities to improve stakeholder buy-in and assessing the existence of any rights and liabilities on the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust, the company that has been running the project. An ambitious project -- that seeks to end the perennial water shortages bedeviling Bulawayo by drawing water from the Zambezi River -- was first mooted in 1912.

MZWP has moved at a very slow pace, thereby worsening water problems in Matabeleland and Midlands Provinces.

The first pre-feasibility studies by the colonial government were in 1934 but nothing was done on the project until the 1991-2 drought that forced the city of Bulawayo and other prominent persons from Matabeleland to revisit the project.

Little progress has, however, been noted on securing funds for the project hence the move to nationalise it.

The project is estimated to cost well over US$500 million.