Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
THE long-idle Mzinyathini Irrigation Scheme in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South, is set to resume production in August after Government and development partners completed 87 percent of a major rehabilitation programme aimed at strengthening food security and improving livelihoods in the drought-prone province.
The 45-hectare irrigation scheme, established in 1956, had remained idle for the past six months due to water shortages. It is now being transformed into a climate-smart irrigation facility equipped with modern water-efficient technologies, including drip irrigation, centre pivots and sprinkler systems, while five solar-powered boreholes have been drilled to enhance water supply.
The rehabilitation project is being implemented under the Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Africa programme, spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in partnership with the Green Climate Fund and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Umzingwane District Agritex extension officer Mr Bhekilizwe Ncube said production at the scheme is expected to commence in August.
He said major works undertaken under the project include the rehabilitation of a night storage dam with a holding capacity of 5 000 cubic metres, refurbishment of a pump station that draws water from the storage dam to the centre pivots, installation of two centre pivots covering 19 hectares and land clearing in preparation for production.
“A drip irrigation system installed to irrigate seven hectares, it will help to cover the area which can’t be watered using centre pivots,” said Mr Ncube. “Two centre pivots have been installed on 19 hectares. The irrigation storeroom has been rehabilitated and connected to solar power.
“Land clearing and preparation are also underway at the scheme. Five boreholes were drilled and solarised, which will pump water to the night storage dams to back up water from Umzingwane Dam. 12ha will be irrigated by a sprinkler system, which should be installed by the community as their contribution to the project.”
Mr Ncube said a new power line had been installed, while an upgraded transformer was still to be fitted to power the centre pivots.
Matabeleland South provincial Agricultural Development and Advisory Services (ADAS) director Mrs Shupikai Sibanda said the scheme would significantly improve food and nutrition security and create employment opportunities once fully operational. She said beneficiaries had already received training to enable them to manage the irrigation scheme as a viable business enterprise.
“This intervention is part of Government’s efforts to accelerate rural development and industrialisation in line with Vision 2030. As a province, we can’t do any sound cropping activity in this region without supplementary irrigation or full irrigation, as it’s dry.
Also, considering the consequences of climate change, we definitely need climate-smart technologies to address these issues. Government working with development partners has been rehabilitating irrigation schemes and establishing new ones. One such project is the Mzinyathini Irrigation Scheme,” she said.
The scheme is expected to make a significant contribution towards food security in Matabeleland South, where irrigation remains critical due to low and unpredictable rainfall patterns. The project also aligns with the Second Republic’s drive to strengthen household food security through sustainable agricultural production.
The broader rehabilitation of idle irrigation schemes across the province is expected to improve food and nutrition security while advancing national development objectives under Vision 2030. Government has also rolled out various agricultural initiatives aimed at transforming subsistence farming into commercially viable enterprises.
Ms Buhlebenkosi Ncube, a member of the irrigation scheme, said the rehabilitation project had restored hope among beneficiaries who had struggled for years with unreliable water supplies and poor productivity.
“When we commence our production, we won’t be just operating as an irrigation scheme but as a business enterprise. We have waited for this intervention for a long time and we want to ensure that it’s successful and it ushers in the development and change that we have waited for.
“We have been struggling to produce for several years as we didn’t have a reliable water source. We are relieved that we now have climate smart technology as it will enhance our production,” she said.
Mzinyathini village head Mr Alfred Tshuma said the rehabilitation of the irrigation scheme had renewed optimism among villagers, who are looking forward to returning to productive farming and harvesting crops again this season.
He appealed for the speedy completion of the outstanding works.
Under the Second Republic, Government has prioritised the revival and expansion of irrigation infrastructure as part of efforts to combat food insecurity, build climate resilience and reduce poverty in rural communities. The initiative is particularly important for Matabeleland South, which lies largely within Natural Regions IV and V, where erratic rainfall has increasingly constrained dryland farming despite the province’s considerable water resources and irrigation potential.
