Five companies are vying to take over Zimbabwe’s dysfunctional urban water supply system, with the government seeking investors to revamp the system, particularly in major cities like Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe announced that the government has been given the green light to privatize the provision of water, and they are now inviting private sector players to submit proposals.
Garwe stated that they are looking for investors with the capacity to engineer, procure, construct, manage, and finance the water supply system.
So far, five companies have expressed interest, with three being international players and two local companies. Names are yet to be disclosed.
“We were given greenlight to privatise, we are now in the process of inviting the private sector players, both local and international, to bring proposals of interest,” Garwe said.
“We want somebody with the capacity to engineer, procure, construct, manage and finance.
“So far, we have received five, three from international players and two from local players.
“It’s work in progress and we are hoping by the end of next week, we will have interviewed them and identified the suitable candidates.”
The move to privatise the water supply system comes as Zimbabwe’s urban water supply has struggled to provide a constant supply of potable water to ratepayers for over two decades.
Minister Garwe vowed to address Harare’s water crisis by the end of January with plans to implement a digital, smart water metering system. The government has identified enough water sources to cover population growth, including two dams that will feed Harare.
The Minister said five competing companies will undergo interviews, and the suitable candidates will be selected by the end of next week. He added that the chosen investors will not only take over the water supply system but also upgrade it to prevent future water problems.
“We want to move away from the old meter system to a digital, smart water metering system,” the Minister stated.
“By the end of this month, or early February, you will see movements and we are not looking at Harare alone but all our cities.
“The priority areas are Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, since it is our capital city for tourism.
“If we look at Harare, we have two dams that are going to be feeding Harare.
“Muchekeranwa will feed water into Ngwenimbe in Marondera, which will take water into Manyame River or Rufaro Dam, which comes all the way to Harare.
“It will then cover Melfort, as a smart city, Goromonzi, Ruwa, Mabvuku area and Zimre Park.
“We also have Kunzvi Dam, which is under construction, and will assist in the supply of water into Harare.
“It’s a matter of time before Harare’s water woes will be resolved but considering the water infrastructure in the country, we will not meet the demand.
“As we appoint investors, they will also upgrade the system to make sure we are not going to have water problems.
“We have problems with leakages, this system which is used in Africa, like Nigeria, and Algeria detects the leakages in the process.
