Mutapa Gold Resources has assured the fast-growing mining town of Bindura that water shortages are a thing of the past following the official commissioning of the US$3 million Masembura water pipeline project yesterday.
Built through a partnership between the Bindura municipality and Mutapa Gold Resources, owners of the Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, the project brings an end to years of dry taps.
The new system features a 500-cubic-metre balancing tank, an 18-kilometre pipeline to the mine, and a 22 kilometre pipeline feeding straight into the Bindura water treatment plant, with Mutapa funding 60 percent of the cost and the council covering the remaining 40 percent.
Reflecting on the severe water crisis that sparked the initiative, Mutapa Gold Resources Chief Executive Officer Patrick Maseva-Shayawabaya said water security is no longer an issue for either the mine or the town.
“Today is a very happy day for us as Mutapa Gold Resources. It’s the culmination of a process that began in April last year when we were threatened, as Freda Rebecca and as Bindura Town, with a shortage of water. “So we came up with the Masembura Water Pipeline Project. It means that security of water is no longer an issue for both ourselves as an operation and Bindura Town,” he said.
The CEO explained that running a gold plant without water is impossible, noting that if they had not acted when Mwenje Dam dropped to 36 percent capacity last year, the whole plant would have closed.
“The reason why we ran around in April last year when Mwenje Dam was 36% was because we realised that if we ran out of water in Mwenje, we would actually close the plant.
“Without water, you can’t run a gold processing plant. So it’s very important,”added Shayawabaya.
Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Christopher Magomo, praised the development and the teamwork behind the project .
“We have commissioned it today on the 21st of September 2026. This is a milestone to Mashonaland Central Province as it adds up to our capital investment.
“And we look at this infrastructure actually giving value to our GDP and also looking at how it’s going to help the citizens of Bindura Municipality.
“We’ll be delighted if we see much more hours of water in our taps in Bindura.
“That would be a milestone. We are very happy also to see a partnership between a private player, Mutapa Gold Resources, and a local authority which has come to fruition today. Water is life, and this project is a huge relief for Bindura,” he said.
As a booming mining hub experiencing rapid infrastructure growth and people moving from rural areas, the town desperately needed reliable water. This successful partnership proves how much it helps when big companies and local councils work together to bring clean water and a better life to the community.