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Clr Fidze5

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Masvingo City Council’s much-awaited $2 million trunk sewer project has remained unattended in the past six years and city officials are unsure when the ambitious project will be completed. Masvingo mayor Councillor Hubert Fidze said last week the project, which was abandoned when it was at 60 percent, was long overdue.

“We are worried that the sewer project, whose completion was slated for the end of 2012 has not yet been finished. We are seized with the matter, but one thing is for sure: the project has been outstanding for long,” he said.

Clr Fidze said council was waiting for the release of a $2 million loan from the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) to complete the project.

“We were granted borrowing powers by our parent ministry — Local Government, Public Works and National Housing — and we applied for a loan from NSSA. The authority has responded and availed the $2 million that we wanted, but the money has not been released yet. The delay may be attributed to the change of leadership as they have a new director.”

Clr Fidze said he was not sure when the project would resume.

“As soon as the money is available, the project will commence. Now that the rains have started falling, obviously we cannot talk of the issue and that means that it can only start next year. This time around we are not going to flight tenders for the project. Council is the one going to oversee the completion of the project instead of contracting anyone,” he said.

Clr Fidze said the present sewer system was designed before independence for less than 30 000 people, but now the residents’ population had phenomenally increased to about 120 000.