Councillors in Bulawayo have called on the government to prioritise the long-delayed Glassblock Dam project, warning that further setbacks could deepen the city’s water crisis.
The appeal was made during a full council meeting on Wednesday, where councillors pressed for renewed engagement with central authorities to revive the project.
The Glassblock Dam, planned for the Mzingwane River in Matabeleland South, has long been viewed as a medium-term solution to Bulawayo’s recurring water shortages. Residents have endured years of rationing amid dwindling supplies.
Ward 3 councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu said the government should consider redirecting funds from less urgent programmes to address what he described as an escalating crisis.
“We are asking the government to raise money or remove funds from other areas which we see as overfinanced and not a priority like the Bulawayo water situation,” he said.
Cllr Mahlangu argued that delays to the Glassblock-Bopoma project were largely attributable to central government processes. He urged authorities to accelerate discussions to prevent what he termed a failure of leadership.
“We request that where you engage them, encourage them about the importance of the resumption of the Glassblock Dam so that we won’t be blamed by future generations,” he said.
The project was first proposed in the early 1980s, at a time when the city’s water supplies were more stable. Councillors say repeated postponements have contributed to the current strain.
Cllr Mahlangu also called for cooperation across political divides, saying the issue should not be reduced to partisan contestation.
“On issues of national interest or city interest, we should come together and help each other on what can be achieved for Bulawayo,” he said.
He added that residents were frustrated by years of assurances without visible progress, claiming an investor had indicated that funding was available.
Ward 29 councillor Royini Sekete raised separate concerns about illegal mining activities in the city’s catchment areas, warning that environmental degradation could further threaten water security.
“We might say we have enough water now, but if we do not receive rains in the next rainy season, how far have they gone in their engagement with the minister so that when there is rain next time, water will flow into the dams,” she said.
The chairperson of the Future Water Committee, Ward 10 councillor Khalazani Ndlovu, said the committee was also seeking clarity on the status of discussions around the dam.
“As the committee we are also asking how far the engagements have gone,” she said.
Cllr Ndlovu added that while there had been discussions with the minister over illegal mining, further direct engagement was needed on the Glassblock project to establish its current position.