BY STEPHEN CHADENGA

MEMBERS of the Midlands provincial Joint Operations Command (JOC) yesterday toured Gweru city’s major water supplier, Gwenoro Dam, to assess the water supply situation.

The tour, led by Midlands Provincial affairs minister Larry Mavhima, also included top council officials and staff from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, among others.

Mayor Josiah Makombe confirmed the trip to Gwenoro, saying the JOC wanted to gather first-hand information on the situation at the dam.

“They (JOC) want to assess the situation, and we hope as council that government will assist us with the water situation in the province,” he said.

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“As you know, Gwenoro can be decommissioned any time soon. There is, therefore, need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders so that we can come up with a
lasting solution to our water woes.”

Recently, Makombe said Gwenoro was at 18% capacity and indicated that council was concerned that the Midlands capital could face an unprecedented water crisis
if urgent solutions for alternative supplies were not put in place.

The local authority has already put in place stringent water rationing measures.

Gweru Residents Forum director Charles Mazorodze, however, said the city fathers should stop “bickering” about the water situation and employ practical
measures to avert disaster.

“There is need for council to quickly expedite the decision to switch to Amapongokwe in order to save the situation,” he said.

Town clerk Elizabeth Gwatipedza recently said council had approached the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe and that the financial institution had
agreed to release money for 20 boreholes to be drilled as a stop-gap measure.