HARARE – Nearly two-thirds of the 750 boreholes drilled by Zimbabwe’s government in the final quarter of 2025 remained unusable because they had not been equipped with the necessary infrastructure, a parliamentary committee has revealed.

The Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development said only 272 boreholes became operational during the period, leaving 478 without equipment.

Presenting the committee’s report to the National Assembly on Thursday, Felix Saul Maburutse, the Zanu PF MP for Chivi South and committee chairperson, said delays in Treasury funding had undermined water infrastructure development and deprived rural communities of expected improvements in water access.

In a report to parliament, the committee found that inadequate funding had delayed the installation of pumps, solar systems and other infrastructure required to make the boreholes operational.

“While 750 boreholes were drilled during the quarter, only 272 became operational because 478 remained unequipped,” the committee’s report said.

The findings come as Zimbabwe seeks to expand access to water and strengthen rural communities’ resilience against recurring droughts.

The committee found that the Integrated Water Resources Management Programme, which received the largest share of the ministry’s fourth-quarter allocation, recorded budget utilisation of just 31 percent.

Funding shortages also delayed strategic dam projects, including Gwayi-Shangani and Kunzvi, as well as irrigation development.

Supporting the report, CCC MP Patrick Sagandira criticised the failure to complete borehole installations despite the initial investment in drilling.

“We drill boreholes and we leave them without pumps, solar systems and pipes. The rural woman walks for water,” Sagandira said.

The committee recommended that the government equip all 478 outstanding boreholes within the first six months of 2027.

It also proposed that newly drilled boreholes be equipped within three months of drilling to prevent further delays in delivering water to communities.

The committee warned that inadequate and delayed Treasury releases were undermining the benefits of government investment in rural water infrastructure, leaving communities facing water shortages despite the completion of drilling work.