Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
MANICALAND has successfully established 113 Presidential Village Business Units (VBUs), marking monumental strides towards rural development and agricultural transformation, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza has said.
In an interview on the sidelines of a field day at Nyakatsapa Community Garden last Sunday, Minister Mugadza hailed the VBUs as a revolutionary development, bringing prosperity and self-sufficiency to communities in the province.
“This initiative, driven by President Mnangagwa’s vision to empower rural communities through agriculture and business, is rapidly changing the lives of villagers, transforming them into businesspeople.
“The programme is a game-changer. As we speak, we now have 113 VBUs in Manicaland, and we are very happy that all of them are flourishing. Yes, they do face challenges, but they are being dealt with. As a country, the President’s target is to establish 35 000 VBUs, 9 600 school business units, 4 800 units for our youths, and 46 business units for tertiary institutions.
“We already have one in Mutasa South Constituency, at Magamba Vocational Training Centre that was officially commissioned by the President, and is thriving just like the Nyakatsapa VBU. As Manicaland, we are happy because the programme is progressing successfully, and we are also expecting more VBUs to be established, with a focus on dry climatic areas,” he said.
Agricultural extension supervisor, Mr Chaka Mugura said the Nyakatsapa Community Garden, which produce potatoes, broccoli, and Kariba Bream fish, has brought tangible benefits to the local community.
He said the project has become a lifeline for the entire village, particularly the families of the 50 farmers directly contributing to the garden.
“This garden is a hectare, but only a quarter has potatoes because this is their first time.
They pool resources, and the unity here is commendable. The villagers are learning business practices and modern farming techniques, all thanks to the VBU programme. We hope that they will expand the hectarage of potatoes as well as increase the fish ponds,” said Mr Mugura.
One of the farmers, Mr Alfred Masevha Chitonha expressed optimism about the financial returns of the business.
“We are expecting to get an income of US$3 000 from the abalone potatoes planted here. Upon harvest, we will also plough back into the garden. This income will help us buy more seeds, improve our irrigation system, and possibly expand our project,” he said.
The programme is also empowering women in the community.
Chairperson of the VBU, Ms Rutendo Chitaka highlighted how the initiative has transformed their lives as rural women.
“As women, we are grateful because we have been empowered. The majority of farmers here are women. We are getting an income that is helping us look after our families, and we have ceased being idle rural women. We have plans to expand our garden project and double our fish farming. The future is bright, and we owe it all to the visionary leadership of President Mnangagwa,” she said.
Mutasa Rural District Council Ward 18 councillor, Councillor Johan Mandiringana said the VBUs has transformed subsistence farming into viable businesses for rural communities.
“People in rural areas can now make farming a business, not just a way of life. They are being taught to produce at a larger scale and to think beyond just feeding their families. The Nyakatsapa VBU is proof of this transformation. Villagers are no longer dependent on external aid, they have become self-sufficient entrepreneurs, thanks to the VBU,” he said.
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