Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Bhebhe in Hwange
A TOTAL of US$2 million is required to finance the programme of resettlements and compensation of communities, institutions and businesses that fall within the Lake Gwayi-Shangani boundaries, an official has said.
The affected areas are mainly in the Binga portion of the massive capital project.
In an interview on the sidelines of a tour of the water project by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development on Tuesday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Ministry’s chief director for water resources, irrigation development and national WASH coordination, Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu, said the affected areas have been identified by an evaluation team from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
He said 27 villages consisting of 734 households and five properties at Lubimbi Business Centre are set to be relocated and compensated.
Also, eight institutional centres that include three community schemes and five churches are also earmarked to benefit.
However, no direct finances would be advanced to affected parties, but modern structures would be built on yet to be identified land, he said.
“Through the local Government Ministry who are the Government valuers, they did an evaluation of all properties under the servitude and throwback areas and total compensation is around US$2 million,” said Eng Mutazu.
“The thinking around Government is not to give the individuals the money but to build modern structures.
We don’t want to resettle but re-organise them and be the first beneficiaries of the irrigation schemes to take place out of Gwayi-Shangani Dam.”
The project has several spill-off benefits along the envisaged green corridor that include fisheries projects and setting up of boost water stations.
Some of the salient features of the project include 52-kilometre-long throwback along Shangani River and 27km along Gwayi River.
The water body’s catchment area is pegged at 38 740 square kilometres with a 916,2-metre-high flood level and 845,0m river bed level.
Construction of the Lake Gwayi-Shangani is among Government’s major priorities and is expected to be completed this year after missing last year’s deadline.
The Government took over the project in 2012 and the Second Republic has committed considerable resources to it and others in line with aspirations of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) towards Vision 2030.
The completion of the massive project is expected to transform lives in Matabeleland through the establishment of a 10 000-hectare irrigation belt along the pipeline to Bulawayo.
Lake Gwayi-Shangani construction is part of the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP), which upon completion is expected to provide a permanent water solution for Bulawayo and Matabeleland region.
The project is already employing 500 locals and more will be employed when contractors scale up the laying of the 245km Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo pipeline. — @nqobilebhebhe
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