THE Zambian and Zimbabwean Governments have assured that there is no need to panic over the state of the Kariba Dam.
In a joint Ministers’ communiqué issued at Caribbea Bay Resort in Zimbabwe today, the two Governments said the Kariba Dam was stable.
Reading the communiqué on behalf of the two Governments, Zimbabwean Energy and Power Development Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire said the Dam was monitored and maintained in line with international standards.
“The Governments of the Republic of Zambia and Zimbabwe represented by…would like to inform the general public and all stakeholders that the Kariba Dam is in a stable state.
“The Kariba Dam is monitored and maintained in line with international standards. The Dam wall is equipped with several instruments which monitor its well-being and safety,” the communiqué read in part.
Some of the instruments were installed during the construction of the dam while some were added and continued to be added as advances in dam engineering and technology occur.
According to the communiqué, the analysis of data from those instruments coupled with visual inspections, observations and evaluation of the Dam’s safety in line with the current practices in dam engineering gave early warning signs of potential risks to the safety of the Dam wall long before they occurred.
The information used to prescribe remedial or corrective measures which are then implemented to mitigate the potential risks and that the current maintenance requirements for Kariba Dam wall were as a result of the exhaustive process and were aimed at mitigating against potential risks to the safety of the dam.
“The two Governments take all maintenance needs of the dam seriously no matter how small they maybe and will continue to do so throughout the life of the Dam to ensure that the Dam continues to operate safely and does not pose a risk to the public,” the communiqué read in part.
The two Governments, Mr Mavhaire said, had been proactive in addressing dam maintenance and that tender designs for some works were completed at the end of 2013 and their implementation was expected to start at the beginning of 2015 with support from cooperating partners.
“The reshaping of the plunge pool is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 whilst spillway refurbishment will take about six years as only one gate can be worked on per year so as to allow for the possibility of spilling. These works are estimated to cost US $230 million,” he said.
The maintenance works in progress and requiring implementation include among others installation of an additional pendulum to the current instrumentation used for measurement of dam reflections, plunge pool reshaping and spillway refurbishment.
Zambezi River Authority projects and dam safety director David Mazvidza described the cracks on the Dam walls as “superficial” as they were shallow and only existed on the surface of the concrete.
Mines, Energy and Water Development Minister Christopher Yaluma, who represented the Zambian Government, assured that there was no need for people to be alarmed over the Kariba Dam as everything was under control.
Mr Yaluma, however, warned that in an event that the walls collapsed, that would affect more than 3 million people beyond Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The issuance of the communiqué was preceded by a closed door meeting lasting more than one hour in Zimbabwe’s Kariba town as well as the tour of the Kariba Dam.
Other officials representing the Zimbabwean Government were that country’s Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere as well as Energy, Power and Development Deputy Minister Munacho Mutezo.
Be carefull the way you handle this matter
Says the 2 countries ruled by presidents whose combined age is a total of 167 years between them.
Thats a lot of experience, may we pray for them to continue
Thanks
@Mushota
Rubbish
As a technocrat, I would believe the statement more if it was accompanied by an structural analysis report from a reputable consulting engineer that wouldn’t have been bribed to give a report that the two governments want. So what was that report all about that the Zambian government had gone scouting for money to strengthen the footings of the dam wall? Nchenzi inamva mau oyamba. Sorry!
I really admire Zimbabwe, they even have a ministry of Environment, Water & Climate.
As long as Zimbabwe is involved, then Kariba Dam is safe!!
@ Mushota
What has to do huge experience in rigging the elections with structural damage?
@ Mushota – do you ever use your head when you post some of your drivel here? Or maybe you reckon your head is there just to keep your ears apart?
The job of a prudent politician is to tell a convincing lie that goes with plausible deniability. I believe this is what is at play here.
I concur!
Very typical. They will wait till it starts leaking and then panic. As for Mushonyo you really dont have a clue about anything except being a *****
i don’t believe the assurances by these guys
Am sure they went and looked at the walls with their naked eyes, they then punched a few blows in the same dam wall and voi la! they certified it stable; wow!
If so, what about the $250m GRZ is looking for urgently from World Bank, ADB, EU for the same project? We were told GRZ is taking it as a priority!!! PF is a real master of confusion: contradicting statements all over…!!!
Another PF BUFI!
When they get the $250 million it will just disappear like the Eurobond has done!
Just a made-up excuse to beg for more money! Better we use it for the REFERENDUM on the CONSTITUTION!
Good evening
Both governments should just get an international team of experts – regardless of whether these have European or American names, to survey the condition of the dam and establish clarity.
Moral: In times of safety, prepare for an emergency.
In other words International experts are genetically more superior and know more than Black zambians and Black zimbabweans?
If so I agree with you
Thanks
You are right. Moreover, the planing and construction of this dam was done by white engineers. Blacks just came in as casual workers . Let us consult the white man. Cant trust black muntu on matters of such magnitude. See how PF government is giving us contradicting statement. Chikwanda says this and the other minister says another thing. We all know that the dam wall is okay at the moment but the plunge pool is pausing a serious danger. Its almost 90 meters deep now. Its will soon eat into the the foundation of the dam wall. This is what real expects are worried about not cracks on the dam wall.
It’s a pity we still have people who think we blacks are incapable of great things. Many on this forum will agree that having attended higher education classes, we have in many instances excelled above our white counterparts. The same Finite Element Analysis and geotechnical analysis that a white man will make is the same a black man will make. Pity politicians have believed that foreign is always best. How then are we able to work for these same high profile companies and be successful. A case of “a prophet not being accepted in his home country.”
I Don’t trust this Corrupt Contradictory Government, especially its now in cahoots with our neighbours in Zim.
Be Prepared for a Human Manufactured Tsunami soon, with huge losses of life. By that time, these cowboys would have been voted Out, having taken the cash meant for Kariba Dam rehabilitation, & banked it offshore, enjoying their ill gotten gains abroad.
these 1diots, bwana minister, you are not the right people to give us that concocted report. if you had made reference to a reputable consultancy firm that it carried out tests and certified it fit, it would have made sense not this rubbish. do not run aw3ay from a problem just because the catastrophe may happen after you are gone as your life span is about to expire (sata and mugabe)
ur economies r collapsing yet u won’t admit it , now the kariba dam is going and u r smiling and mushota claims to be better than Oprah lol Pa Africa zona…. what r we like??
Which story are we to believe ? That the dam is under threat and may be swept away if nothing is urgently done within three years or that all is well and the dam is safe! How I wish we could have non-contradictory statements from our government for once!
this is a disaster waiting to happen. both governments just need to combine resources and plan ahead for major maintenance.
Eeeeee this is serious even Kudos agrees!
@ Kudos
I told you, keep taking your medicine. There is already real improvement in your assessment of naked truth.
Mushota your inferiority complex is humongous.
dongo, you didnt understand what mushota said. you are the real black with inferiority complex.
So the work actually needs doing which ever way you say it? The same remedial works for both sets of problems is it not? And the decision for these works was from a report pre dating the Dec 2013 contractual agreements which probably showed the very same issues if this is truly the case? And roughly the same amount of funds will be or are going to be required? So regardless of the issue, somehow the funds will be required? Shall I put it another way?
Ever since construction this has been a disaster waiting to happen. All dams are a disaster waiting to happen, in a sense. It’s a matter of managing it properly which isn’t impossible. Panic based on rumours won’t help the situation. The worst case is to build another dam (and generators) a little way downstream then slowly let the water through and dismantle the original dam
And this article is a bit irresponsible at least in the headline. The two national governments are not saying it’s safe
The PF is just debt hungary to enrich their pockets. They will find any reason to borrow. Thanks Zim for taming them.
Why is it that under the PF government there is no clear cut news? Below is part of the news from three days ago (22nd march);
“GOVERNMENT has enlisted the World Banks, European Union and the Africa Development Bank and other agencies to move fast and assist prevent the imminent collapse of the Kariba dam in Siavonga.
Answering questions at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Finance minister Alexander Chikwanda said Government was aware of risks with regard to the possible collapse of the Kariba dam and was working with cooperating partners to address the problem”
As expected, PF has contradicted itself. Chikwanda statement given at the so called press conference is worlds apart from today’s position. What are we to believe? What a total lack of descipline and a united front!
As per Chikwanda: Government enlists World Banks, EU, ADB to assist prevent the imminent collapse of the Kariba dam-Chikwanda.
Our govt seems to have lost the bearings totally, and we are headed the way of the lost Malaysian Airline. It’s embarrasing really.
On the evidence of this development, it seems likely Chikwanda’s press conference may have pandered alot more falsehoods. What else did he lie about? This govt has lost its bearings in the area of a united front and descipline. We should not be surprised to land somewhere near the missing Mmalaysian Airlines. Signs are ominous!
Yaba, bati ma lipoti yanu yashupa ! what was that Chikwanda crap on 22.03.2014 then?
No matter what they say Alkali-silica reaction is one of the most recognized deleterious phenomenon in concrete structures especially water retaining structures such as the kariba dam. Quick intervention is needed, they could have modeled the effect of ASR a longtime ago other than relying on those old tools of strain measurement, by this time they could have retrofitted the structure.
The effect of ASR should not be taken lightly, The reaction is with the aggregates resulting in excessive expansion, cracks, loss in mechanical properties and serviceability problems.
I wanted to do some research on this dam unfortunately I wasn’t granted permission. In Holland 20 bridges have been damaged by this phenomenal. Sad to say that the
usual type of collapse is a brittle (loss of shear…