Victor Maphosa
Mashonaland East Bureau
WITH a potentially severe El Niño-induced drought forecast for most parts of Zimbabwe, residents of Maganga in Ward 9, Marondera District, are banking on a Government-established Village Business Unit (VBU) to safeguard their food security and livelihoods.
Established under the Rural Development 8.0 programme, VBUs are community-based commercial enterprises designed to promote agriculture as a business. Each unit typically spans up to one hectare and features irrigation infrastructure fed by solar-powered boreholes to sustain year-round production.
For residents of Maganga in Marondera East constituency, the VBU provides a vital buffer against dry spells while creating new economic opportunities. During a recent visit to the site, beneficiaries expressed confidence that the project will shield their households from hunger.
“This VBU was established this year, and we are now operational. As you can see, we have planted maize, and we are happy that it is growing well,” Mrs Violet Makoni said.
“What makes us even more excited is that this VBU was established for us by our Government.
“So we are planning to do horticulture in the near future. This is commendable. As you can see, there is plenty of water here.
“This means we can now even do agriculture whether it rains or it does not because we have water to irrigate whatever crops we would have planted, and we are grateful to our Government for this gesture.”
Another beneficiary, Mr Norman Chiutsi, praised the Second Republic for the intervention.
“We are thankful to our President and the Second Republic for this initiative. This season, we were told that there won’t be enough rain for us, and this means we are facing drought,” he said.
“However, for us, we are confident of having a bumper harvest. We will work hard in this garden so that we transform our livelihoods.”
Beneficiary Mr Edwin Chipfuwa noted that the project actively engages local youths, keeping them away from drug and substance abuse while empowering the wider community.
Ward 9 Councillor Tamuka Tasaruona said water from the solar-powered borehole also serves surrounding households beyond the garden.
“I have two Village Business Units in my ward. And I am happy that the community has embraced this initiative. Many have joined and are benefiting immensely,” Councillor Tasaruona said.
“What excites me is that people are working hard and I am convinced that th,ey will not face any hunger in future. Thank you, President ED Mnangagwa, for these initiatives.”
Marondera East legislator Cde Vimbayi Mutokonyi confirmed that 20 VBUs are now operating across the constituency, demonstrating tangible rural empowerment.
“As you can see here, this is full implementation of the Agriculture Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy, as Government empowers the communities,” Cde Mutokonyi said.
“I want to thank President Mnangagwa for coming up with policies in terms of rural development and empowering communities.
“Across my constituency, we have 20 operational VBUs, and we are expecting more. Currently we have drilled more than 40 boreholes, and we are drilling more. Some of these boreholes will have VBUs.”
