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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
TWO water off-take points along the Mtshabezi pipeline and Kumbudzi Irrigation Scheme in Umzingwane district have been commissioned as Government steps up efforts to ensure food security through transforming the surrounding areas into a greenbelt.
In a speech read on his behalf by Matabeleland South provincial administrator, Ms Sithandiwe Ndumo last week, Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Abednico Ncube said the projects were a reflection of Government’s commitment to creating employment and providing food security and potable water to communities along the Mtshabezi pipeline. The Government injected $100 000 into the project.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, working with its partners, installed equipment at the Kumbudzi irrigation scheme in order to boost agricultural production in the area.
The Mtshabezi pipeline has seven off take points along the way which allow locals to access water from Mtshabezi Dam for the creation of irrigation belts and supply domestic water to households and schools.
Cde Ncube said the establishment of more irrigation schemes along Mtshabezi pipeline and the Government’s pledge to provide irrigation equipment is evidence of the political will needed to turn irrigation schemes into bastions of economies in drought prone areas.
He said the establishment of the Kumbudzi off-take point is in line with Government’s integrated water resources management programme and will directly benefit 50 households.
“The net effect of this project was the establishment of the Kumbudzi irrigation scheme which will directly benefit 50 households through the irrigation of 10 hectares of land,” Cde Ncube said.
The other irrigation schemes will be developed in Bezha, Mlomoliwoto and Longfield.
The second off take point at Zimwrong was developed at a cost of $50 000 and at least 20 households will benefit from the project. The project consists of the installation of an electricity transformer, five cubic metre potable water treatment plant and the laying of a 1,6 kilometre pipeline.
“The projects come as part of Government efforts to ensure that our people have equitable access to water, which will also enable them to grow a variety of crops as irrigation eliminates their reliance on rain fed agriculture. I have no doubt that there will be surplus produce from this irrigation scheme, which the beneficiaries can then sell to neighbouring communities and create employment,” he said.
“The commissioning of the two projects comes at a time when the Government, through the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, is implementing the integrated project approach which seeks to bring together parastatals in the ministry to put life changing projects at rural schools around the country.”
He said 500 sites for off-take points have been identified countrywide and work is underway and is at various stages of construction.
“All these efforts are an impeccable demonstration of the Government’s determination to uplift lives of the generality of Zimbabweans. The projects are also in sync with the new dispensation’s vision to transform Zimbabwe into a middle income economy by 2030. This vision shall be attained partly by leveraging on the development of our water resources for various spheres of socio-economic development that include agriculture, energy, health, mining and manufacturing,” said Cde Ncube.
He said the launch of the Kumbudzi irrigation scheme and the Mtshabezi pipeline off take is coming at a time when the Government is implementing the Command Water Harvesting programme around the country.
“The Command Water Harvesting programme entails Zinwa drilling boreholes for rural communities and the construction of weirs in every rural ward.
The notion behind this programme is for us to be able to store water during the rainy season for use during the dry season when people face water challenges as well as provide water for livestock and wildlife,” Cde Ncube said.—@mashnets
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