adminGeorge Maponga in Masvingo
Plans to relocate nearly 3 000 Tokwe-Mukosi flood victims from Nuanetsi Ranch have intensified with Government yesterday deploying teams to start pegging five hectare plots for them in the Chiumburu area of Chiredzi. The Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement recently announced it had identified 14 500 hectares of arable land at Chiumburu to resettle the flood victims on bigger plots.
The villagers had been pressing Government to move them from Nuanetsi Ranch arguing that the one-hectare plots allocated to them were too small while the area was also unfit for human habitation because of extreme aridity.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Shuvai Mahofa yesterday said businessman Mr Billy Rautenbach had undertaken to fund the relocation of the flood victims to Chiumburu once pegging of their plots was completed.
Mr Rautenbach is believed to be one of the leading investors in the Zimbabwe Bio Energy that wants to build a $400 million ethanol plant at Nuanetsi Ranch.
“We are optimistic that the Ministry of Lands (and Rural Resettlement) will expedite pegging of plots for families at Nuanetsi because we have identified an investor who wants to finance their relocation to the Chiumburu area,’’ she said.
“There is an undertaking from Mr Rautenbach to provide running water for families at Chiumburu.
Online Reporter