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From George Maponga in Masvingo
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has breathed fresh impetus into Masvingo city’s water augmentation venture after paying more than R400 000 to a South African consultant hired to carry out feasibility studies on the multimillion dollar project.

Fears abounded that the water upgrade project was going to be further delayed owing to shortage of foreign currency, a development that affected council’s capacity to fulfil financial obligations with the SA-based consultant.

Council approached the RBZ early this year for a forex lifeline to enable the consultant to produce results of the feasibility studies on phase 2 of the water augmentation project.

The project will gobble US$60 million and council intends to borrow funds from China Eximbank with a guarantee from Government.

Under the project the existing water pumping, purification, conveyancing and storage system will be duplicated doubling capacity to 60 megalitres per day.

Mayor Collins Maboke yesterday said the RBZ had made a timely intervention.
“I am happy to announce that council has since met its obligations to the SA consultant who carried out feasibility studies on our planned water project. We now expect a full feasibility report on the project on the coming few weeks after RBZ paid the required forex,” he said.

“The payment of the money marks yet another milestone in council’s quest to finally roll out the water augmentation project that will end our problems.”

Councillor Maboke said an all stakeholders meeting will be convened once the feasibility report is out to make sure the projects gets requisite buy-in from all stakeholders.

“We will invite the consultant to make a full presentation on the feasibility studies before all our key stakeholders so that we all pull in the same direction on the water project.”

Masvingo is currently facing water challenges blamed on demand that is out stripping supply owing to expansion of the city.
The city draws its water from Lake Mutirikwi, which is Zimbabwe’s second largest inland dam after Tugwi-Mukosi.