The Government has acknowledged that delays in paying the contractor contributed to the stoppage of construction at the Ziminya Dam project in Nkayi, where work has been suspended since November last year.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland North Richard Moyo told VicFallsLive that efforts were being made to resolve the issue and bring the contractor back to site.
“Then there is the issue of the Ziminya Dam in Nkayi,” Moyo said.
“Construction was underway, but the works stopped in November last year.”
The admission comes after Ward 19 councillor Thubelihle Ncube Mabuza first raised concerns with VicFallsLive over the contractor’s departure and the lack of information reaching communities.
Mabuza said workers initially left the project in November 2025, with the community believing the stoppage could have been linked to the rainy season.
However, as the months passed, the workers did not return and there was no clear communication to the community about what had happened.
He said the project had been providing much-needed employment to people from surrounding wards, including wards 19, 18, 28 and 29.
The jobs, he said, had helped reduce poverty and hunger in the area, while also contributing to a reduction in housebreaking and other social problems.
With the contractor gone, many of the young people who had benefited from the project were left at home without work.
The community had also been left relying on rumours about why the project had stopped, with Mabuza previously saying there had been no clear explanation from those responsible for the project.
The project was reportedly around 25–30 percent complete when the contractor left, according to the community account.
Moyo has now provided a possible explanation for the stoppage, although he did not say how much Government owed the contractor.
“I think it was because of delays in paying the contractor (Government),” Moyo said.
The Minister said Government expected the contractor to return.
“We were told that work would resume by the end of September.”
“They will be coming to ensure that the contractor resumes work.”
Moyo also said he believed the payment issue had been resolved.
“I think everything has been resolved, and construction of the dam will resume.”
He added:
“Yes, that is what they are trying to resolve.”
The stoppage has also coincided with concerns over environmental damage around the construction area, including the removal of trees, disturbance of grazing areas and deep gullies created through the sourcing of construction material.
Villagers have previously told VicFallsLive that some livestock have fallen into the gullies, with some animals dying.
The Ziminya Dam project was first mooted in 1998, while construction began in 2021. The dam is designed to hold about 97 million cubic metres of water and support approximately 1,250 hectares of irrigated agriculture.
It is also expected to provide water to Nkayi Business Centre and support fisheries, recreation and other economic activities.
For now, the community has heard a new promise: the contractor is expected back by the end of September.
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