GWANDA town is in the throes of a major water crisis as water levels at Mtshabezi Weir, its main supply source, dwindle.
The council also blamed gold panners for vandalising the main pipe that connects the town to the Mtshabezi Weir.
In a notice to residents and stakeholders dated April 23, Gwanda municipality town clerk Priscilla Nkala highlighted the crisis facing the Matabeleland South capital.
“The municipality is facing challenges of water levels at the weir as they have been reduced, hence we have been unable to resume pumping,” she said.
“Our engineers are working tirelessly to resume pumping, while we await more water from the Blanket dam. This has affected pumping of water to our reservoirs tanks.”
Gwanda mayor Thulani Moyo on Wednesday said the municipality was pinning its hopes on the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to alleviate the crisis.
“Zinwa is making all efforts to increase water levels by opening the new Blanket dam,” Moyo said.
“The problem is the vandalism of the main pipe that brings water from Mtshabezi Weir to the town by the gold panners.
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“Efforts to sink deeper the pipe that draws water are being made, but this is not a final solution, it's just a short term measure as we wait for Zinwa to bring water from Blanket Dam.”
Zinwa spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga said the parastatal had received a distress call from the municipality over the water crisis.
“In the same letter, Gwanda Municipality requested that Zinwa releases water from Blanket Dam. On receipt of the request from the Municipality on April 16, 2024, Zinwa started water releases from Blanket Dam to Gwanda,” Munyonga said.
“Ordinarily it takes 30 days for water from Blanket dam to reach Gwanda.
“However, Zinwa is working closely with the council, providing technical advice in line with its mandate, on how limited water in the Mtshabezi Weir can be harnessed to save the situation in the town.”
Munyonga also revealed that the municipality owes Zinwa ZiG818 821,72 in unpaid debt for water deliveries.
