Umsebenzi wokwakha idamu elikhulu eleGwayi-Shangani Dam esabelweni seMatabeleland North usuqhubekelela phambili njalo leli damu likhangelelwe ukuphela ukwakhiwa ekupheleni komnyaka ozayo. Idamu leli likhangelelwe ukuqeda udubo lwamanzi koBulawayo lezinye indawo eMatabeleland.
IGwayi-Shangani Dam kubikwa ukuthi ingalethela idolobho lakoBulawayo lezinye izigaba zeMatabeleland inguquko emangalisayo. Uhulumende wabamhlophe wake wacabanga ukwakha idamu leli kodwa lokhu kwaphelela emoyeni.
Abalwa impi yenkululeko abagoqela umuyi uDumiso Dabangwa babefuna kwakhiwe idamu leli njalo kufakwe impompi zokukha amanzi ziwathela edamu leGwayi Shangani.
Uhulumende kamuyi uRobert Mugabe wakuvimba lokhu ngoba wayebona engani bafuna ukusebenzisa uhlelo lweZambezi Water Project ukuthi bamsuse esikhundleni. Ngokuya kwesikhathi kwehlula ukuthi kufakwe impompi zokudonsa amanzi emfuleni uZambezi uhulumende wasecela ukuncediswa lilizwe lakwele China ukuba kwakhiwe idamu leli.
Okwamanje sokulethemba lokuthi iGwayi-Shangani Dam ilakho ukulethela uzulu amanzi kusukela ngomnyaka ozayo. Kambe kuzakwenzakala lokhu na?
Umphathintambo obona ngezenthuthuko esabelweni seMatabeleland North, uMnu. Richard Moyo, uthi soluzakwethulelwa abantu uhlelo lolu lokukha amanzi.
"Kuchanelwe imali ezinengi eMatebeleland North njengoba ubonile sike sahamba sayabona elokhuzeni eGwayi eShangani Dam. And iGwayi Shangani Dam lapho kufakwe imali enengi ukuthi kuyakhiwe idamu leliyana liphele and liyaphela ngo2021. Njoba ubonile umduli lowana suku 8 metres and umduli lwana uyaku 72metres and umyaka lo usiyaphela lizabe seliku 28 metres, idam wall leyana."
Izakhamizi zalumhlubulo weMandebeleni zithi uMoyo usebise inguquko enkulu esigabeni. UMoyo uthi kunengi okwenzakala esabelweni seMatabeleland North.
"Sakhulumisana lopresident lominister wetransport ukuthi imgwaqo yethu yeMatebeleland ayimanga kuhle president and njengo president olalelayo wafanda amalokhuza, amaprojects lawa through itreasury. So kuyakhiwa ngengoba ubona umgwaqo osuka koBulawayo usiya eNkayi. Khathesi nxa usuka koBulawayo usiya eNkayi uhamba more than 5hours but umgwaqo nxa usulungisiwe uyabe suhamba 1 hour uyabe suse Nkayi."
UMoyo uthi usebenza kahle labantu okuyikho okwenza ukuba kubelentuthuko esabelweni sakhe.
"Kuyabekufuna lawe nxa ukhona ungene lawe uphiwe umsebenzi ngumongameli kumbe ngu Government kufuze ulandelele. Ulandelele into lezi ukuze zihambe. Lawe ungathi suphiwe uzihlalele izinto ziyazimela but inkalakatha yikuthi ulandelele and iteam engilayo eMatebeleland North am happy ngoba bayasebenza, konke esikukhulumayo sikhuluma nge one voice. Amanengi amaprojects akumadistricts kumacouncils ngoba balemali yedevolution abayiphiweyo wonke ama Disctrict councils atholile izimali zedevolution."
Kodwa abanye abantu kabalathemba lokuthi luzaphumelela uhlelo lolu. UMoyo uthi basebenzela uzulu.
"Ngithanda ukubathembisa abantu beMat North ukuthi umsebenzi esiwuphiwe nguhulumende sisonke leteam yami engilayo eMat North kusiyafika i5 years leyi esiyiphiwe nguhulumende ukuthi siyisebenze siyabe sikhatshana ngoba kathesi ubonile kuyakhiwa amawofisi eLupane silungiselela ukusuka lapha koBulawayo siyesebenzela duzane labantu ledevelopment zethu ezikhona ukuze abantu bengahambi imango emide besiza koBulawayo, besilande eduzane eLupane."
Kulabanye abantu abathi idamu leli alisoze lincede uzulu wakulumango ngoba abantu bokuza yibo abazanikwa amaphepha okwenza inhlelo ezitshiyeyo ngaphansi kohlelo lokwakha amanzi emfuleni uZambezi. Omunye wabalombono lo nguMnu. Thabani Dube weMzola.
"Siyayibona imsebenzi kaMoyo kodwa siyakwazi ukuthi abantu bempumalanga yibo abazacina begcwala edamu leGwayi bezothiya inhlanzi lokwenza ama project thina sivalelwe ngaphandle. Sicela ubaba uMoyo labanye bakhe kuhulumende bavalele ngaphandle abantu base Mashonaland."
UNkosazana Thobekile Ncube, ohlala eJambezi, ujabule kakhulu ngokwakhiwa kwedamu leli.
“UMinister lo uMoyo uyasebenza okusijabulisayo. Mina ngingumsekeli webandla leMDC kodwa intuthuko yiyo engiyifunayo njalo siyabonga okwenzakalayo esabelweni sakithi. Silethemba idamu lemigwaqo elungiswayo iyaphutsha. Sithi phambili ngeDevolution.”
Uhlelo lokukha amanzi eZambezi lwacatshangwa ngomnyaka ka1912 nguhulumende owayekhona ngesikhathi leso.
Ngokuya kwesikhathi lwafakwa ngaphansi kwenhlanganiso yeMatabeleland Zambezi Water Project kodwa kwaswelakala imali yokulwenza. Okwamanje kukhanya sokucongolozelwa amanzi edamu leGwayi Shangani kungakhanyi kahle ukuba kuzakwenziwani ngohlelo lweZambezi Water Project ngokuya kwesikhathi.
