Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa Orders U.S.$5 Million Disbursement to Speed Up Delayed Gwayi Shangani Dam Project

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed the Ministry of Finance to release US$5 million every month to speed up work on the long-stalled Gwayi-Shangani Dam project.

Two months back, the treasury had not disbursed enough funds with construction of the dam set to be completed this year.

According to Lands Deputy Minister, Vangelis Haritatos, the Treasury was releasing funds in "drips and drops" which cannot make any significant changes.

The Gwayi-Shangani project, which is supposed to be a permanent fix to Bulawayo's water shortages, has faced delays and failed to meet several deadlines since work started in 2004.

The most recent deadline, which was set by the government, was for the dam to be completed by the 2023/2024 summer cropping season, which it also missed.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X under his pseudonym Jamwanda, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Presidential Communications, George Charamba said US$10 million has already been disbursed.

"President ED Mnangagwa has ordered the finance ministry to ensure a monthly disbursement of US$5 million towards completion of the stalled Gwayi-Shangani dam.

"So far US$10m has been released, ensuring some four meters of the all concrete wall are done," he wrote.

In 2018, Mnangagwa toured the Gwayi-Shangani dam and pledged to do everything in his power to ensure the project is completed by the end of 2019 and to date, it has not been completed.

Last year, the government allocated ZiG1,2 billion in the national 2025 budget to complete Lake Gwayi-Shangani and Kunzvi Dam which is now at 72% completion.

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