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VP Phelekezela Mphoko

Mashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
THE government is exploring ways of fully harnessing about 3,5 million litres of water at Khami Dam, which has been lying idle for more than 20 years, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko has said. Speaking soon after touring Khami Dam on the outskirts of Bulawayo yesterday, VP Mphoko said there was a need to also utilise more than 250 hectares of land for agricultural purposes.

“We want to utilise 3,5 million litres of water at Khami Dam and 250 hectares of land which have a great potential to create employment for our people but it’s been lying idle for over 20 years now. We want our people to utilise that land and dam for farming activities to feed our people,” said VP Mphoko.

He said the government would work in partnership with the Bulawayo City Council and the private sector to develop the project. “We want food and need to farm and possibly put maize under irrigation. We want to whip the council to work with the local community and the private sector,” said VP Mphoko.

Recently, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) was granted the green light to use water from Khami Dam for its boilers at the Bulawayo Power Station in a deal that will see the utility rehabilitating the dam’s treatment plant.

The company had sought permission from the Bulawayo City Council to use water from the dam which was decommissioned in 1988 due to high levels of pollution. ZPC requires the water as part of the rehabilitation of the power station after it secured an $87 million loan from India for the power project, but the dam would remain under the BCC.