Villagers in Lubimbi, Binga, who are expected to make way for the Gwayi-Shangani Dam reservoir say they have gone about two years without community meetings or official updates on their relocation, despite Government saying the exercise is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
Former councillor and Lubimbi villager Chrispen Munkuli said the community last met officials about two years ago when they sought information on developments at the dam and the proposed relocation process.
“We last met them two years ago, and have not seen them since,” Munkuli said in a telephone interview with VicFallsLive.
His remarks come after VicFallsLive recently interviewed Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo, who said affected Lubimbi villagers would need to be relocated before the dam’s reservoir begins filling.
Moyo said the relocation was expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and that US$28 million had been set aside for the exercise.
But Munkuli said the timeline had not been communicated to the affected community.
“They have never returned since then. So we do not understand where the claim that we will be relocated by the first quarter of 2027 is coming from. We simply do not know,” he said.
“We are told we are supposed to move by April, but we know nothing about it.”
Munkuli said villagers had previously identified Kanono as a possible relocation site and visited the area with the District Development Coordinator (DDC) and officials from the Ministry of Lands.
However, he said the delegation arrived in the evening and could not properly assess the area.
“We were told to go back, and they promised that they would invite us again so that we could return and properly survey the area on foot,” he said.
The follow-up, he said, never happened.
“The purpose was to assess whether the site would be suitable to accommodate all the 502 people they had mentioned. However, since that visit, we have never heard anything further from them, and there has been no follow-up on the matter.”
Another Lubimbi villager, Vincent Nyoni, also expressed disappointment over the lack of engagement with affected communities.
“There have been no meetings with the affected communities to update us on what is happening with the relocation. We are simply left waiting for information,” Nyoni said.
Munkuli said villagers had also sought information from the DDC, who regularly attends meetings concerning the Gwayi-Shangani Dam.
“We invited the DDC because they regularly attend meetings on the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, but they have never come back to brief us on what is discussed. As affected villagers, we are not being given updates,” he said.
He said the community had now invited the DDC to a meeting today on 8 September to provide an update and answer questions about the relocation process.
“We will ask the DDC to provide us with the latest information so we can understand what is happening, because we are currently in the dark,” Munkuli said.
The villagers’ concerns come as Government pushes towards completing the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project.
Moyo told VicFallsLive that he was optimistic the dam could be completed by the end of 2026, subject to continued funding.
Government says families affected by the reservoir must be relocated before water impounding begins.
The planned relocation has become a major concern for communities in Lubimbi, who face losing their homes and land to the reservoir.
About Gwayi-Shangani Dam
Gwayi-Shangani Dam is a major water infrastructure project in Matabeleland North, expected to contribute to efforts to address Bulawayo’s water challenges while supporting irrigation, industry, tourism and power generation.
The project includes plans for a 252-kilometre pipeline to Bulawayo, six pump stations and irrigation development.
Government has said 806 families are expected to be affected by the reservoir and must be relocated before impounding begins.
Alternative land has been identified in Kanono, Lupane, where affected households are expected to receive new homes as well as land for cultivation and grazing.
The planned reservoir will cover about 10,000 hectares.