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Herald Reporter
THE construction of Semwa Dam in Rushinga at the northern end of Mashonaland Central is now 41,6 percent complete and will revolutionise agriculture in the dry and low altitude area of the province by irrigating 12 000 hectares.
The dam will also have a small hydro-power station for local use and provide potable water for Rushinga growth point, now developing and expanding into a proper town on the back of the fast rising production of its local farming community.
Already more processing is planned for Rushinga, along with a lime mine and processing plant, so off-farm employment opportunities for local people are increasing as the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa scales up infrastructural development activities.
Since its inception in 2018, the Second Republic has embarked on massive reconstruction works of road, irrigation, airports and water infrastructure in its quest to turnaround the fortunes of ordinary people and attain an upper middle income economy by 2030 in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Semwa Dam, being constructed along Ruya River, has a capacity of 260 million cubic meters and is one of the several major dams where construction has started in the last four years, plus dams where work had halted and where it was taken to completion.
Other dams under construction include Kunzvi Dam in Mashonaland East, which will largely supply the eastern areas of Harare Metropolitan, Vungu Dam, Chivhu Dam and Lake-Gwayi-Shangani.
Lake Gwayi-Shangani will supply Bulawayo through a pipeline being built from the dam to the country’s second largest city which for the first time in decades will have enough water for its residents. The pipeline will also irrigate dry lands nearer the dam and those along its path to Bulawayo.
In an interview, Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said Semwa Dam will provide many benefits to the immediate community and the country at large in terms of poverty alleviation and food security.
“The dam will also come as a long-term and more reliable source of raw water for the expanding Rushinga growth point. It will also provide power generation while it is also envisaged that its completion will unlock opportunities for recreational activities around the dam,” said Mrs Munyonga.
“The dam is now 41,6 percent complete. Current works include stockpiling of river sand as well as the drilling and blasting of rocks for concrete aggregate. The quarry and crusher are now fully established and concrete aggregates are already being crushed and stockpiled while the concrete batch plant is fully installed and ready for use.”
It was a hive of activity when The Herald visited the dam last Friday, with workers for the contractor, Makomo Engineering, busy drilling the earth using heavy machinery led by site agent, Mr Guang Chao Chen.
Zinwa resident engineer, Mr Takudzwa Masvinyangwa, said land for irrigation had since been identified.
“The dam has a potential of irrigating 12 000 hectares of land. So far around the area, the upstream and downstream but mainly around the dam, we have identified 5 000 hectares of land for irrigation. Further down, in the Dande Valley area, we are still doing technical, economic and financial appraisal for potential irrigable land which is about 8 000 hectares,” said Eng Masvinyangwa.
“So far 141 families have been identified for relocation because of dam construction. To date, we have resettled 15 families because of proximity to the construction works or they were residing in the dam servitude.
“Resettlement of other families upstream (where the lake will flood) is ongoing.”
He said Semwa Dam will also support a mini-hydro project, fisheries and potable water supply.
“Water will also be pumped to Rushinga to service the area that includes the growth point,” said Eng Masvinyangwa.
“In terms of employment creation, we have 130 people employed on this project so far with a potential of increasing the numbers when the works scale up.”
Makomo Engineering executive chairman, Mr Liangming Jin, said he remained optimistic that the work would be completed soon so that communities and the country at large will begin to benefit from the project.
“We will continue collaborating with the Government to ensure that the project is complete,” he said.
Villagers spoken to commended the Government for constructing the dam saying it would go a long way in improving the quality of life in the generally arid area.
“We are quite excited by the project. We are facing challenges of potable water for humans and our livestock. With the coming in of the dam, the bulk of our problems will become a thing of the past,” said Ms Lynete Ngirato from Munyepere Village.
Another villager, Ms Margaret Motsi, said the project will help to incentivise many civil servants such as teachers and nurses to want to work in the area.
“We implore the Government to speed up the project so that we begin to enjoy the benefits,” she said.
An elderly man, Mr Phibeon Mabika from Nyandoro Village, commended President Mnangagwa for his visionary leadership.
“With his foresight and strategic thinking, our area will soon be transformed. We want to thank our President and all his leadership,” he said.
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