The Gwayi–Shangani Lake project, now 74 percent complete, has been hailed as a landmark engineering achievement that is set to transform Zimbabwe’s water and energy sectors.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, described the project as a critical pillar of the National Development Agenda during a media tour of high-impact development projects in Matabeleland North on Friday.
“This is an engineering marvel, considering that the dam was first pegged in 1912, yet not a single brick was laid at this confluence until the advent of the Second Republic,” said Dr Muswere.
The dam is designed to address Bulawayo’s long-standing water shortages and will become Zimbabwe’s third-largest inland water body. The project includes a 256-kilometre pipeline supplying water to the city, a 10-megawatt hydro-power station, and a planned 10 000-hectare green belt along the pipeline aimed at boosting food security and creating employment opportunities.
Dr Muswere emphasised that the Gwayi–Shangani project is a major success story under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, reflecting visionary leadership and a revised engineering framework that positions the dam at the centre of integrated economic development.
“The dam is central to economic integration as it will supply both industrial and domestic water. Part of the water will be pumped to Bulawayo, and under the new development framework, every dam must support tourism, provide clean water, and generate electricity,” said the Minister.
He highlighted the far-reaching impact of the project on water security, energy generation, tourism development, and regional economic growth, describing it as a model for future infrastructure initiatives in Zimbabwe.
Construction on the Gwayi–Shangani Lake dam is ongoing, with authorities aiming to complete the project as a key milestone in the country’s national development agenda.
The Gwayi–Shangani Dam is part of a wider government programme to upgrade and expand water infrastructure. Other projects include the Kunzvi Dam for Harare, the Vungu Dam in Midlands, and Ziminya Dam in Matabeleland North, as well as improvements to existing reservoirs such as Lake Kariba, Lake Mutirikwi, and Tugwi‑Mukosi. Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen water supply for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use, generate hydroelectric power, and drive regional economic development, showing that Gwayi–Shangani is not the only ongoing major water project in the country.
