Sokumile ukulungiswa kwedamu elikhulu eleZiminya eNkayi ebelisakhiwa nguhulumende ngenhloso yokwenqabela uhlupho lokusweleka kwamanzi esigabeni lesi.
Lokhu sokudanise izakhamizi ebezilethemba lokuba zizasebenzisa amanzi ekuthuthukiseni indawo le, obekuzasungulwa inhlelo ezitshiyeneyo.
Izakhamizi lezi zithi abakhi bedamu leli abeZimbabwe National Water Authority baqala ukususa imitshina yokugebha, izimota kanye leminye imitshina ngenyanga kaLwezi kungelasizatho esatshelwa inkokheli yesigaba kanye lezisebenzi.
Sixoxe loMnumzana Jeffery Sibanda owake wasebenza eZiminya ngokwenzakalayo, othi kakucaci ukuba umsebenzi uzaqahubeka nini, njalo ngokuna kwezulu, imbundu yedamu leli eTshangane isiqala ukudilikela.
“Imitshina ababeyisebenzisa ayikho. Akulalutho eground kule foot roller eyodwa eyafayo.”
UMnumzana Lameck Dlamini isakhumuzi seMenda uthi ulokudana ngohlelo lweZiminya, ngesizatho sokuba amanzi aluhlupho eNkayi.
“Mina kimi kubuhlungu ngoba nginje ngikhangela izifuyo ezilapha ngendlela osekudilizwe ngayo amadlelo le eTshangane kuphinde kungasaphutsha okuyinto kwakhona khathesi lezulu kalikho labo sebefukue umhlabathi akuselandawo zamadlelo kithi sokuyi loss lokhu.”
Sixoxe njalo lokhansila kaWard 28, uMnumzana Norman Ndebele, laye othi basemnyameni ngokwenzakalayo ehlelweni lweZiminya.
“Abantu laba baphuvala bengasitshelanga saphungubona bethutha impahla behamba ukuthi basivalelise lathi sasesibuza izisebenzi bathi kuthiwe sikhangele mhlaka 29 December batshiya kunjalo.”
UNdebele uthi idamu leli belizaletha intuthuko kuzulu weNkayi.
“Idamu lelui ngalikhona indlala yonke le esiyibalayo, konke esikubalayo nga kakukho. Ama irrigation bavulile kuma ward so nxa ama irrigations la engasebenza ubuyanga bendlala obulapha bebuzaphela.”
Unobhala webhuku lako Liver Khumalo, eMenda, uNkosikazi Sitshengisiwe Sibanda, uthi labo basemnyameni ngokwenzakala eZiminya.
“Ithemba asiselalo ukuthi bazabuya beqhubekele phambili, kusiphatha kabuhlungu kakhulu izakhamizi bezisebenza edamu sezibuya zihlala. Sifisa ukuthi liphumelele idamu sithole ukusila bekuzasincedisa ngoba labantu abasasebenzi.”
Isiloyiso sika Dlamini yikuba idamu leli lakhiwe. “Nxa abantu bezafelwa zinkomo baphinde baswele umsebenzi kanti bazaphila ngani ngoba inkomo ziphelile ngamathambo wodwa.”
UMnumzana Richard Moyo, ohola isabelo seMatabeleland North, uthi uhulumende ubengaselamali yokuqhubekela phambili yokwakha idamu leli.
“Hanstho uyabona ukuthi even le Gwayi-Shangani dam bekumile but kuma disbursement of 2025 l think iZiminya bengayifaka u-contractor ngeke ahlale kungaselamali ngithemba ama project la azaphiwa kuphele.”
Ngokutsho kweziphathamandla zikahulumende ezikuhlangothi lweTransport and Infrastructure Development, idamu leli kanye lezinye inhlelo ezigoqela ukuphehlwa kwamagetsi le irrigation, lizakwakhiwa ngezigidi zamadola eMelika ezedlula kancane ikhulu lamatshumi amathathu amadollar – US$132 million.
Idamu leZiminya ngelesibili elakhiwa nguhulumende kusabelo seMatabelelend North ngemva kweGwayi-Shangani Dam yona layo ekhangelelwe ukwenqabela uhlupho lwamanzi kubahlali bakoBulawayo lezinye izagaba eMatabeleland.
Uhlelo lweGwayi-Shangani lwasungulwa ngomnyaka ka1912 lwaphinda lwathathelwa phezulu yiNational Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project.
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