ZINWA takes over relocations of thousands Kunzvi villagers but plans remain vague

Brenna Matendere

Harare—The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has taken responsibility for the relocation and compensation of 450 families affected by the construction of the Kunzvi Dam project in Goromonzi, some 70km northeast of Harare.

Previously, there was a standoff between central government and the water utility on who must relocate hundreds of villagers affected by the dam project, as revealed by an investigation that Information for Development Trust (IDT) supported.

In 2021, the Chinese company, China-Nanchang Engineering, won the tender to construct the dam at a cost of US$109 million, with the loan being sourced from China.

However, another Chinese state-owned company, SinoHydro Corporation, unsuccessfully challenged the tender, insisting that it was awarded irregularly.

SinoHydro argued that the bid was inflated, at US$43 million higher than the lowest bidder price.

In an exclusive interview, ZINWA spokesperson, Marjorie Manyonga, said the water body was leading the relocation and compensation of affected families from Rusike and Mwanza in Goromonzi.

She said ZINWA had identified 450 families requiring relocation since their homes fell within the dam project zone.

With a typical rural family having an average of 6 members, this means that 2,700 villagers are set for relocation.

“There is a total of 450 families that are affected by the project as they are located within the dam basin and their relocation is work in progress,” she said.

However, she would not reveal where the families would be relocated, nor the amount of compensation to be paid out, saying such details would be shared later.

The relocatees fall into three categories, Manyonga told NewsHub.

The first group is that of 64 households that were in the way of the dam wall, spillway return channel and riprap quarry area.

These families’ properties have already been evaluated, she said.

The second category comprises 113 households that are located in the project earthworks way while the last one are 273 homesteads in the dam basin.

These two are yet to be evaluated.

Besides the uncertainty of compensation and where they will be relocated, affected villagers who spoke to this publication are concerned about the fate of the graves of their relatives.

Manyonga, though, said ZINWA had already engaged the National Museums and Monuments unit so that it could help with reburials.

“A cemetery for purposes of the relocation of 17 graves has been identified and the reburial initiative processes and procedures are underway, with the involvement and guidance of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe,” she said.

“The ministry of Local Government and Public Works is also among the government agencies that are involved in the evaluation of properties affected by the dam,” she added.

The dam, largely considered as the solution to the City of Harare’s water woes, is at 52 percent of completion.

Current work at the site includes trench excavation, with a cumulative total of 103, 390 cubic metres of core material having been excavated on the right bank.

“Excavation of the riverbed is ongoing and 54, 850 cubic meters have been excavated from the riverbed. Excavation of the cofferdam has also commenced,” she said.

The Zimbabwean government says Kunzvi Dam will significantly enhance water supply to Harare, particularly in Donny Brooke, Mabvuku-Tafara, Greendale and Msasa that perennially face severe water shortages.

Currently, the Chinese contractor is laying the water pipeline and building a treatment plant at the dam.

The treatment plant is estimated to be able to treat 1,000 cubic meters of raw water per hour.