Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT has reconfigured the scope of works for the development of a 63km canal between Zhovhe Dam and Beitbridge town to incorporate community piped water projects, citrus and fisheries.
Speaking during a recent visit to Zhovhe Dam, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the implementation of the Zhovhe project was long overdue.
He said Government is finalising preliminary works to speed up the full implementation of the US$35 million Zhovhe project that is set to turn Beitbridge into a greenbelt.
Under this intervention, the Zhovhe project will be expanded to include citrus farming and fisheries.
Constructed in 1995, Zhovhe Dam is one of the 10 biggest water bodies in the country with a holding capacity of 133 million cubic metres.
The irrigation and water canal project was mooted in 1998, but nothing much was done on the ground until the Government under the Second Republic, secured a US$20 million loan from Kuwait and contributed US$15 million from the Treasury to the project.
Among other things, the Zhovhe project will have a 2 500-hectare irrigation project.
On its course to Beitbridge, the water canal will supply commercial and smallholder farmers in Wards 14 and 6 with irrigation water and adjacent villages.
“Here at Zhovhe Dam, the Kuwait-funded project was very narrow considering that it was just looking at commercial irrigation. Now, we have expanded its scope to include fisheries, be it commercial and community fisheries, the V30 accelerator model where we are going to do 200 hectares as we convey the water to Beitbridge,” said Dr Masuka.
He said Government was also going to create facilities for clean drinking water for communities, schools and rural service centres located along the canal.
“So, this is our plan to bring Zhovhe Dam water into production and productivity that benefits the local population,” said Dr Masuka.
He said Government is also working on a plan to supply 15 million cubic metres of raw water to South Africa annually.
Dr Masuka said the transfer agreement between Zimbabwe and South Africa will be signed in the shortest possible time.
“A pipeline is already existing, but we have changed the configuration and the teams are already working on the project,” he said.–@tupeyo
Online Reporter