dyton mupawaenda
George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
The Second Republic has set Masvingo Province on the cusp of massive socio-economic transformation, with over 600 projects completed in the last five years.
All the infrastructure development works are in line with the Government’s aspiration of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle income society by 2030.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, said since the coming in of the Second Republic in November 2017, a lot of life-changing projects had been rolled out in various areas including infrastructure development, education, roads, agriculture, mining and power generation.
Speaking at Chivake Primary School in Gutu West over the weekend where the ruling party was officially launching the campaign to drum up support for Zanu PF National Assembly candidate Cde John Paradza, Minister Chadzamira praised President Mnangagwa for implementing projects that have changed peoples’ lives.
The Gutu West by-election is set for November 11.
Said Minister Chadzamira: “Government has so far implemented over 600 projects following the advent of the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa, which shows that there is commitment to transform the living standards of our people in line with Vision 2030 and the ‘leaving no one and no place behind’ philosophy.
“Some of these projects include schools to reduce the distance walked to and from school by learners, clinics, roads and bridges to enhance movement of people and goods.”
Minister Chadzamira said the province has also seen new irrigation schemes being opened while others were rehabilitated to improve food security.
Further, the province has also adopted climate-proof farming methods in the wake of climate change, so as to boost food production.
“Government has also been investing in power generation projects and a mini hydro power plant will soon be commissioned at Lake Mutirikwi and it will be generating 5MW,” said Minister Chadzamira.
Plans are also at an advanced stage to build a 15MW hydro power plant at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam and feasibility studies have already been completed.
To improve access to potable water, especially in rural communities, the Second Republic has drilled over 1 500 boreholes across Masvingo Province with around 70 of them having been drilled to supply water in Gutu West and surrounding areas.
Minister Chadzamira also lauded the Government for rolling out youth and women empowerment projects across the province to ensure they were not left behind.
He appealed to Government to allocate more resources to complete outstanding road projects especially in Gutu District, where roads such as Gutu-Kurai and Gutu-Buhera are under construction.
The Second Republic has embarked on a number of life-changing projects across Masvingo Province to uplift the living standards of people, especially in rural areas.
In terms of food security, Government through the Great Zimbabwe University, is spearheading traditional grains production to enhance food security in Chivi, Mwenezi and Chiredzi where more than 500 rural farmers are being contracted to grow the crops.
In Mwenezi, Government initiated the opening of the Marula/Mapfura Beneficiation Plant that has benefited thousands of villagers who pick the wild fruit and supply the processing plant at prices ranging from US$5 per 50kg bag.
The value addition plant produces skin oils and wines, among others, from the wild fruit which is abundant in Mwenezi and surrounding areas.
Over the years, mapfura were mainly eaten by donkeys with some enterprising people picking them up to brew mukumbi (marula).
In the sphere of mining, a chrome smelting plant was built by the Zimbabwe Zhongxing Smelting Company near Mhandamabwe at a cost of US$70 million and will benefit hundreds of small scale-miners in the chromite-rich Mashava and surrounding areas, who will supply chrome to the facility.
Sinomine-owned Bikita Minerals is now employing over 2 000 workers after injecting fresh capital and expanding operations to ramp up petalite and spodumene production as Zimbabwe eyes to start the lucrative manufacture of lithium batteries for vehicles.
In agriculture, plans are at an advanced stage to develop the 4 000ha Mutirikwi greenbelt irrigation project, east of Masvingo City, that will use idle water from Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe’s second largest inland water body.
There are also plans to develop an initial 4 000ha of irrigation around Tugwi-Mukosi Dam to boost food security and ensure communities benefit.
The Second Republic, in partnership with Lowveld sugar producer, Tongaat Huletts Zimbabwe, is also developing the 4 000ha Kilimanjaro Sugarcane project that will benefit indigenous people who will be allocated plots as part of an empowerment initiative.
In Mwenezi, scores of youths from across Masvingo were allocated 10ha of irrigable horticulture plots at Mwenezana Estates after undergoing training to empower them.
Online Reporter