Byo mayor appeals for US$150 million to build Glass Block Dam

By Ndumiso Tshuma

Bulawayo Mayor, David Coltart, says the city council needs to raise US$150 million dollars to build the Glass Block Dam and rehabilitate the water pumps in order to resolve the city’s water crisis.

A team of engineers has proposed building the Glass Block Dam in Filabusi, which will be capable of providing 70 percent of the city’s water needs.

According to Coltart, both the central government and the city council agree that the Glass Block Dam should be constructed.

“Once again we praise God ,there is consensus with the central government that we need to build a glass block dam and the pipeline from Glassblock to Ncema Dam. Thank God for that consensus,” the mayor said recently.

“We need to raise 150 million dollars to build the glass block and to build a pipeline to rehabilitate Ncema pump station and expand Tuli reservoir on the outskirts of our city. Lets pray specifically for that.Those are our needs on water.” 

The mayor said the city also needs US$14 million to address the short term issues of water and also disclosed that Bulawayo only had 20 percent of the sewerage systems working efficiently.

“Many of you I know are battling with raw sewage in your yards. Councillor (Lezina) Mohamed took me to Thorngrove two weeks ago and I was appalled by what I saw. Young children close to raw sewage flowing in the streets, close to houses, close to schools, close to clinics. Unfortunately that is a consequence of our sewage systems not functioning ,they are working at about 20 percent capacity,” he said.

The mayor said the council is working with private companies and other stakeholders to invest in the rehabilitation of the city’s sewerage works.

“We need to pray that the Lord provides us with the opportunities to enable us to rehabilitate and repair those sewage facilities. There are some prospects available to us, the council is working with private companies and others to invest in the rehabilitation of our sewage works. We need to pray specifically for that so that we can deal with those potential health crises,” said Coltart.