Rutendo Chirume
CHIPINGE – The collapse of Bandama Dam which resulted in widespread loss of life and property in downstream communities has led to calls for closer monitoring of private dams.
On 13 March, five children had been confirmed dead, and two were missing after floods from the cracked dam destroyed many homes downstream in wards 7 and 10 under Chief Mutema.
Chipinge District Development Coordinator (DDC) William Mashava criticised local farmers and the sub-catchment council for not conducting enough monitoring on the integrity of private dam structures.
Mashava, who is also the head of the district Civil Protection Unit (CPU), told EnviroPress that farmers with the privilege to operate private dams were not doing enough to maintain them.
“Most of the private dams were built in the 1970s or before so they are very old by their own standards. I therefore feel a lot could have been done to avoid the Bandama Dam disaster. Farmers need to maintain their dam walls by patching up cracks and removing trees growing close to the dam walls. The Budzi Sub Catchment Council should also be carrying out maintenance check on the dams,” said Mashava.
He said the district anticipated the collapse of Newcastle Dam if nothing was urgently done to strengthen its structures.
“As we come to terms with the collapse of Bandama, another dam called Newcastle might collapse anytime if the rains persist,” he said.
Bandama Dam cracked and released a lot of water on March 09, 2025, resulting in a massive flooding overwhelming Dandoni River which flows into Mwara and Budzi rivers.
Meanwhile, Chipinge East Ward 10 Councillor Piason Sithole, has urged well-wishers to donate to the hundreds of affected villagers.
“A total of three villages downstream Dandoni and Mwara rivers were affected. Apart from the seven children, we lost cattle and goats to the flooding. Fields and a grinding mill were swept away so we appeal to donors and well-wishers for help,” said Sithole.
Green Institute, a Chipinge based environmental lobby group, called for proactive disaster response and for regular assessments on the integrity of old private dams.
“As we reflect on this tragedy, it is imperative to recognize that effective safety measures and rigorous maintenance protocols for infrastructural projects must become a priority for governing bodies and institutions. Regular inspections and assessments would assist in identifying potential weaknesses and addressing them before they lead to catastrophic failures,” said Green Institute director Blessing Matasva.
He urged government to strengthen district disaster response mechanisms to improve the CPU’s capacity to respond to similar disaster in the future.
“Chipinge needs a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan that includes community awareness programmes, emergency response training, and adequate resource allocation for swift responses in the event of such emergencies,” said Matasva.
