adminNoah Pito in Hurungwe
Traditional Chiefs in Mashonaland West Province whose communities were displaced from the Zambezi Valley to pave way for the construction of Lake Kariba in the 50s, are demanding meaningful projects for their areas from the Zimbabwe River Authority (ZARA).The chiefs also want to be treated as important stakeholders in Kariba’s key developmental issues so as to benefit their people through employment opportunities.
Chiefs Dandawa, Nyamhunga, Nematombo, Nebiri and Sampakaruma are among chiefs whose communities were relocated to different areas by ZARA before or during the construction of Lake Kariba over 60 years ago.
Chief Senator Dandawa of Hurungwe said although the Zambezi River Authority at times chipped in with projects in his area, the level of assistance so far received was below expectation. He said it was necessary for ZARA to bring meaningful development to all communities displaced from the Zambezi Valley adding that the chiefs should also be consulted in all major issues of development in Kariba.
He cited the, Kariba South Extension Project currently underway and the Gache-Gache gold mining projects as examples for which the chiefs should have been consulted.
“It is now about 60 years after my people were relocated to Hurungwe and ZARA has not done enough to upgrade the lives of the affected communities. We expected schools and tarred roads for the affected communities. Yes to a certain extent, I am happy that ZARA has managed to build Chiroti Clinic for my people. But imagine one clinic. ZARA should bring clinics to all areas under other affected chiefs. Let there be tarred roads and schools in communities displaced from the (Zambezi) Valley. This is the kind of development that the chiefs were promised upon being displaced.
“ZARA has also donated a grinding mill in my area, but all I’m saying is that it is not enough for the community which they displaced 60 years ago. They should have constructed schools, clinics and tarred roads for all the communities that were affected by the construction of the lake.
“We also expect to be consulted each time Kariba embarks on key projects so that our sons and daughters benefit in terms of employment. We were supposed to be consulted when the Kariba South Extension Project was rolled out. We in fact could have had a quota for our sons and daughters to be considered for employment as part of benefits for being displaced from the resort area,” he said.
Chief Nebiri of Kariba said in 1955 ZARA promised his people a lot of employment opportunities, irrigation schemes, electricity, hospitals, good roads and irrigation schemes but to date nothing had come to fruition.
“In my area ZARA has only built a school called Chikuro. That’s the first and last tangible project I have seen. In Chief Mola’s area the organisation has only donated a small grinding mill. The organisation should do more. We expect to see tarred roads, electricity, irrigation schemes and hospitals to mention a few,” he said.
Chief Nebiri said that although the chiefs had long been displaced from areas around the lake, traditionally they continued to be custodians of the resort town.
“We still continue to be custodians of the area no matter we no longer stay there. We still have control of the area traditionally. We need our children to be employed there since we are the indigenous people in that area.
“I’m grateful to the Government for its efforts to bring airwaves to the Tonga people. Recently Mr George Charamba (Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services) came to my area in connection with bringing airwaves to the marginalised Tonga people. I am happy he noted some of our challenges in the area. The Tonga people had for long been marginalised,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from ZARA management were fruitless at the time of going to print.
Online Reporter