By a Correspondent
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has identified the Lake Gwayi-Shangani project as one of the Second Republic’s milestone projects for 2022 as he reflects on the government’s successes for 2022.
On Wednesday, the President announced on his Twitter account that he would be sharing the Second Republic’s successes for 2022 on the platform.
“I will be taking a look back at the successes of 2022 this week in order to celebrate how far Zimbabwe has come and learn from our great journey,” said the President.
First to be mentioned was the Lake Gwayi- Shangani project, a key component of the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project first mooted over a century ago.
It is envisaged that the project would be completed by June this year with 39 metres of the 72-metre wall having been constructed by the end of last year.
“I want to recognise the successes of the last year, beginning with the groundbreaking progress we have made at the Gwayi-Shangani Dam. We are making the lives of Zimbabweans better each and every day. #Vision2030,” posted President Mnangagwa.
The 650 million cubic metre water body, the third largest after Tugwi Mukorsi and Lake Mutirikwi, is one of the flagship projects championed by President Mnangagwa’s administration and is meant to permanently end Bualwayo’s perennial water problems.
It is only after the coming of President Mnangagwa’s administration that the project received financial support and political will to see that it is completed.
The completion of the lake will also see the creation of a green belt along its pipeline to Bulawayo where the government has identified 10 000 hectares of land to be put under irrigation.
The Government also plans to set up a 10-megawatt power station at the lake to boost the Second Republic’s rural industrialisation programme.
