The devastating dry spell which has gripped much of Southern Africa in the wake of the El Nino weather phenomenon is fast raising the possibility of a serious water crisis in the entire drought-prone Matabeleland region in Zimbabwe.

According to the Financial Gazette Local authorities have been watching the prolonged dry spell with horror as water supplies continue to dwindle in dams.

The country’s second largest city, Bulawayo, is already on edge as the dry spell poses a real threat to its water supplies.

Bulawayo city fathers might meet this month to discuss the issue as they seek to conserve water before the situation deteriorates into a major disaster.

The city, with one-million residents, last went through the worst of its water crisis back in 2013.

At the time, residents spent as much as four days every week without a single drop of water dripping from their taps.

Bulawayo relies on six supply dams for its water needs namely: Mtshabezi, Umzingwane, Insiza, Inyankuni, Lower Ncema and Upper Ncema.

The current water supplies held by the supply dams are estimated to meet Bulawayo’s water needs up to August next year.

But further triggering panic in the city is that the Upper Ncema Dam was decommissioned at the end of last year.

Pipe dreams

An age-old suggestion to the water problems crippling the city, of drawing water from the Zambezi River remains a pipe dream because the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, the organisation set up to drive the initiative to draw water from the Zambezi River, has failed to kickoff due to a number of hurdles which include political grandstanding and the lack of funding estimated to be $1 billion.

Gift Banda, the city’s deputy mayor, said the unfolding dry spell has forced the city fathers to “review” the water situation.

“I cannot concretely comment on what steps the city council will take on the water situation. We are hoping that the rains will come soon, not only for Bulawayo, but for the whole country,” said Banda.

“If the rains come in before, say February and March, then there will be no need to go into water rationing. I won’t pre-empt before the meeting we will hold as city fathers where such a decision will be taken

–  Financial Gazette (Ray Ndlovu)