adminGeorge Maponga Masvingo Bureau
RELOCATION of families to pave way for the construction Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam in southern Masvingo has intensified with Government so far having paid US$2 million as compensation to 491 families in the area’s high flood basin. Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam, which would become Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body upon completion is angling towards completion and 1 200 families are expected to be relocated from the flood basin next month.
Masvingo provincial administrator Mr Felix Chikovo on Tuesday said Government had already started moving some of the compensated families to Lot 16 in the Nuanetsi Ranch where plots have already been pegged.
Mr Chikovo confirmed that Government has so far paid US$2 million to the first batch of 491 families who are being moved to the Nuanetsi Ranch.
“We have been paying compensation to the Tokwe-Mukorsi families for the past two weeks and re-location is in progress. We have already paid US$2 million in compensation to the 491 families who we are moving to Lot 16 in the Nuanetsi Ranch and we hope to have completed the exercise in the coming few days.
“The families who have been compensated are those in the dam’s high flood basin and pegging of plots is also intensifying in the Nuanetsi Ranch where we are re-locating them to,’’ said Mr Chikovo.
He said Government was satisfied with progress in the relocation of the families adding that a request for about US$3 million to compensate an additional 756 families had already been made.
“We are targeting to have relocated a total of 1 247 families from the Tokwe-Mukorsi high flood basin before the rain season starts. But for us to relocate these families we should have first paid them compensation and we hope to receive the money to compensate them soon,’’ he said.
Government has been paying compensation to the Tokwe-Mukorsi families at the Benjamin Burombo complex over the past two weeks to pave way for their re-location to the Nuanetsi Ranch where the Development Trust of Zimbabwe has offered 68 000ha for the exercise. The families would be resettled at Lot 16 and the Mutirikwe and Lundi River sections where pegging of plots is on going.
The dam is being built at a cost of US$155 million and would open up 25 000ha to irrigation, transforming arid parts of southern Masvingo and Chivi into perennial green belts.
Online Reporter