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Victor Maphosa Mashonaland East Bureau
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa was in Chikomba district, Mashonaland East Province on Thursday last week where he officially commissioned Chivhu Dam, an irrigation scheme, water treatment plant as well as a fishery project, as he walks the talk in complete fulfilment of his mantra “leaving no one and no place behind” and “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”.
The commissioning of the dam and the other three components born from it is yet another milestone reached by the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa.
Chivhu Dam has a holding capacity of 26 million cubic meters and can irrigate up to 120 hectares.
The construction of Chivhu Dam was approved by Government in 2005 under the Public Sector Investment Programme.
However, construction work could not kick off then due to various factors.
With the coming in of the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa, who gave priority to all stalled projects, the construction of this water body started in 2018.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) under the then Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement was tasked with implementation of the project, and ZINWA then sub-contracted the project to a private contractor, E.G. Engineering.
The budget of the project was US$42 million, wholly funded by Government using its domestic resources.
Construction of the dam and its completion is a sign that, no matter the impact of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, the domestic resource mobilisation thrust being spearheaded by the New Dispensation and President Mnangagwa continues to bear fruit.
The water treatment plant constructed at Chivhu Dam to supply Chivhu town and surrounding areas
Government now has a model, that on every constructed dam, there should be an irrigation scheme which should benefit locals, electricity generation should be done, a water treatment plant should be installed as well as commercial fisheries projects.
Government has already established an irrigation scheme near Chivhu Dam, with 120 ha of arable and irrigable land.
Agriculturally, of the total hectarage, about 105ha has already been put under wheat this season, with 60 families who are the beneficiaries receiving technical expertise from Government’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA).
Beneficiaries of this scheme are now practicing commercial agriculture, and are earning an income, from the created employment.
The wheat is now at early vegetative stage.
ARDA chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said their role at the scheme is both being agronomists and business managers and will work hard to ensure farmers get the best yields out of their resources.
“So here at Chivhu Irrigation Scheme we have 105 ha of winter wheat, established between April 24 and 30, this year. The planting was done early so that the tillering stage coincides with the coldest period of this winter season. So there are 60 households who are beneficiaries who are both employees and shareholders of the scheme.
“During the course of the season like now, we employ them and they are paid agricultural related wages and when they harvest and market the produce, the net profit is divided equally among the beneficiaries and paid off to them as dividends. The scheme is managed under the revolutionary Vision 2030 accelerator model which entrenches profitability, sustainability, viability and also addresses challenges that are associated with irrigation schemes in the past.
“This irrigation scheme is contributing to the provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and it dovetails with Government’s devolution agenda. Furthermore, the scheme was registered as a Private Limited Company and we are replicating this across all our irrigation schemes. As you can see, they have a lot of assets now, we want to create a healthy balance sheet for them and enhance unlocking value facilities.
“I want to urge farmers to always appreciate what we have been teaching them that farming is a business, and that it is the science that informs the business, so the adoption of the best agronomic and management practices results in high yields which in turn result in increased profitability. So our role here as ARDA, we are both the agronomist and the scheme business manager, we take care of the scientific aspect and business side so that the farmers can achieve and realise greater value out of their resources.”
The President tours the Chivhu Dam water treatment plant
President Mnangagwa, after touring the irrigation scheme, proceeded to the Chivhu Dam site where he put fingerlings in the dam, for both community and commercial purposes.
He was then led on a tour of the water treatment plant.
The water treatment plant has a capacity of 450 cubic meters per hour to supply domestic and industrial water to the expanding town of Chivhu, which now has an estimated population of 45 000 people.
Also, the town will be home to thousands of people who are poised to be employed at one of the biggest iron and steel plants, Manhize, and the new water treatment plant was commissioned at the right moment.
The old water treatment plant had a capacity of producing 2.7 cubic meters per hour, which falls short of demand.
Again, Chivhu town has been obtaining water from Range dam, which is smaller than the just commissioned Chivhu Dam.
Giving her remarks during the commissioning, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East Dr Aplonia Munzverengi thanked President Mnangagwa for the dam and water treatment plant and urged Chivhu residents to use water sparingly.
“Today we are celebrating this dam, fish project, the irrigation scheme and the supply of potable water to Chivhu residents. Water woes are now a thing of the past for Chivhu residents. They will continue to have clean water.
“We commend the idea that wherever a dam is constructed, the water harvested is used for income generating projects as well as transforming lives. All this will ensure the attainment of Vision 2030,” she said.
A thriving wheat field is part of an irrigation scheme set up at Chivhu Dam in Chikomba
In an interview with The Herald on the sidelines of the commissioning, Chikomba Rural District Council chairperson Alderman Israel Dhikinya said the dam will have a positive impact on Chivhu town as well as the surrounding areas.
“Chivhu town is growing and there was a need for another dam and a bigger water treatment plant to match demand, and this is exactly what the New Dispensation under President Mnangagwa has done.
“Our people here will have enough water, there is creation of employment because of this dam, so as a local authority, we are happy because of this development which is definitely transforming the face of the town as well as uplifting living standards of the rate payers.”
Chivhu residents, who could not hide their joy, thanked the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa for an improvement of water supply across Chivhu town.
A resident of Chivhu, Mrs Lizy Chidawo, said the intervention by Government is commendable.
“Water is life, and the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa has given us more water, which means he is concerned about our lives. We have water now coming out of our taps.
“I am happy because our water woes are over, today they have been solved. We thank President Mnangagwa for ensuring that Chivhu Dam is completed and now we have enough water,” she said.
Another resident Mrs Makopa said the commissioning of the dam and water treatment plant comes at a good time for Chivhu residents who have been battling water challenges.
“The quality of water we are getting now has improved, thanks to our President who gave us this dam and water treatment plant as Chivhu residents,” she said.
Mr Tinashe Dheko said their challenges are over, and the projects brought about by the Second Republic are commendable as they are meant to improve lives.
“We are happy as residents, this is a step in the right direction in as far as improving livelihoods is concerned. The Second Republic is also doing a lot of developmental projects across the Mashonaland East Province and the whole country. We are proud of our Government for putting our livelihoods at a better position as Chivhu residents.”
Chivhu town lies on the main road linking Beitbridge and Harare and is also linked by road to Mutare and Gweru cities, which then gives it a potential for industrialisation.
Also, Chivhu is surrounded by prime agricultural land which gives it a great potential to grow into an agricultural town.
Now with the commissioning of the dam, irrigation scheme, water treatment plant and a commercial fishery project, President Mnangagwa has given a lifetime gift to the people of Chivhu.
Online Reporter