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Victor Maphosa in CHIVHU
THERE was joy in Chivhu yesterday as President Mnangagwa officially commissioned Chivhu Dam, Chivhu Irrigation Scheme, a water treatment plant as well as a fisheries project.
The event was held at the dam site, about 6km from Chivhu town, off the Chivhu-Gutu highway in ward 8 of Chikomba district.
Chivhu Dam was approved by Government in 2005 under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).
However, construction only started in 2018 under the Second Republic, through the then Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement.
Government funded the whole project to the tune of US$42 million using domestic resources.
The project has three components — the earth dam with a holding capacity of 26 million cubic metres, a water treatment plant with a capacity of 450 cubic metres per hour to supply domestic and industrial water to the expanding town of Chivhu, which now has an estimated population of 45 000, and an irrigation scheme with 120 hectares of arable and irrigable land.
The dam will also support community and commercial fishery projects.
Currently, 60 families are benefiting from the irrigation scheme, and have already formed and registered a company called Chivhu Irrigation Scheme Private Limited.
These farmers are getting technical support from the Government through the Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and funding is from the Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC).
Currently, 105ha at the irrigation scheme have been put under wheat which is at early vegetative stage.
The dam, irrigation scheme and water treatment plant were commissioned yesterday by President Mnangagwa during a ceremony where he also handed a certificate of incorporation to Chivhu Irrigation Scheme Private Limited.
Speaking during the commissioning, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East Dr Aplonia Munzverengi said the dam would transform Chivhu and the surrounding areas.
“The Mashonaland East family is happy today. Construction of this dam is bringing development and transforming lives of Chikomba District. Today we are celebrating this dam, fish, the irrigation scheme and the supply of potable water to Chivhu residents. People here have a dam and this will climate-proof agricultural activities in this area. We will surely have good harvests and earn an income. Water woes are now a thing of the past in Chivhu. They now 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. We encourage investors in the tourism industry to take advantage of these dams and bring in various activities that boost tourism in this area. Also, we have evidence of the good works that you are doing in this province. I also thank you for the roadworks that are being carried out in this province,” said Minister Munzverengi.
“We have also a lot of other projects which include a model school, Makumimavi, Hwedza Government complex, Marondera flats and many others which we expect to commission soon. We have Pfumvudza programmes which are a success, you also give vegetable seeds to our people across the province. For all this, we thank you our President.”
ARDA chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said they will continue to give technical expertise to all beneficiaries of irrigation schemes across the country.
“The planting here was done early and there are 60 households who are beneficiaries, who are both shareholders and employees of the scheme. During the planting season, we employ them and they are paid for the agricultural work and when they harvest and market their produce, the net profit is divided and shared equally among the beneficiaries,” said Mr Mhiko.
“We have 120 hactares of arable land here and 105 hactares have been put under wheat. The scheme was registered as a private company and we are going to replicate this in all the irrigation schemes across the country. This scheme will definitely contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the province. So our role as ARDA here is to be the agronomist and also manage operations at the scheme.”
He called on farmers to always implement the advice from experts and take farming as a business.
Speaking after receiving a certificate of incorporation from President Mnangagwa, the chairperson of Chivhu Irrigation Scheme Private Limited, Mr Wilfred Dzimba, said they are now taking agriculture as a business and will ensure land is utilised productively.
“I thank you President for uplifting lives. Thank you for considering us. We thought money is only found in Harare, but now we are aware that our land is a source of money. We have land now, we are doing agriculture activities and earning a living. All this will lead to the attainment of Vision 2030. Once again, thank you our President”.
Other beneficiaries of the scheme also thanked the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa for the scheme which they said will transform their livelihoods.
Amai Mutomba, a beneficiary of the scheme, said the project has brought about massive transformation to their lives.
“I am happy to have benefited from this scheme. Thank you our President for this. We are doing commercial farming and this will enable us to earn an income. We are now capable of sending our children to better schools, all because if this scheme.
“What Government has done for us is commendable, we are already realising Vision 2030,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mr Chomumwe Nhoto, commended Government and the President for ensuring that displaced families are benefiting from the scheme.
“At first, I thought nothing will come out of this irrigation scheme, but all my doubts have been erased. We are now empowered and we are benefiting a lot from this scheme. Government has done a commendable job, which is transforming our livelihoods.
“When the dam was constructed, we were hopeless thinking that Government will just abandon us, but we were wrong because President Mnangagwa made sure we get land for this irrigation scheme which we are benefiting from today,” he said.
Online Reporter