Zimbabwe and South Africa have reportedly entered negotiations over the possibility of Zimbabwe supplying water to South Africa.

Zimbabwean Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko last week announced that the deal being negotiated through the Bi-National Commission could see his country supplying treated water to South Africa’s northern provinces.

Mphoko made the announcement at the commissioning of a new water treatment plant in Beitbridge, a Zimbabwean town on the border between the two countries. The $40 million plant has a pumping capacity of 4000 m3 of water per hour.

The vice president said the treatment plant would not supply water to Beitbridge alone, but also to surrounding communities within 40km radius.

SA drought situation

South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation has recently warned consumers across the country to conserve water as dam levels have shown a continual gradual decline.

At the start of the month the DWS reported that, in the northern part of the country, dam level had dropped across the board to the following:

Free State           81.1%

Gauteng              88.7%

Limpopo              76.5%

Mpumalanga     76.6%

North West        82.2%