Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENT, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, has pledged Government commitment to prioritise improving water supplies in Matabeleland South province as part of efforts to support development, which is anchored on the agriculture and mining sectors.
Addressing a gathering at Garanyemba Drought Mitigation Centre in Gwanda to mark an end to his three-day tour of high-impact projects in the province, VP Chiwenga said he was impressed by the province’s progress in implementing the rural industrialisation drive.
Since Wednesday, the Vice-President has toured projects in Mangwe, Beitbridge and Gwanda to assess the implementation of high-impact projects meant to drive infrastructure development, rural industrialisation and agriculture reform.
Yesterday he visited Gwanda Lithium Mine in Mandihongola area, Tuli Manyange Dam project, which has stalled for decades and the Garanyemba Drought Mitigation Centre, where he engaged with the community and other stakeholders.
The visit is expected to help inform the Government’s intervention in expediting project implementation.
“I started with Matabeleland South because that’s where we piloted the nutritional garden, now known as a village business unit in Makorokoro area in Mangwe.
“I also visited agricultural and mining projects in Beitbridge and Gwanda. What I have appreciated is that in Matabeleland South, there is good soil and the weather, but what is lacking is water,” said VP Chiwenga.
“That’s why we are here to see how best to address this challenge. We will prioritise the issue of making water available in this part of the country so that we can develop our agricultural potential to the fullest.”
VP Chiwenga said the Government will prioritise the construction of Tuli Manyange Dam, which will provide water for irrigating 1 600 hectares of land and supply water to Gwanda Town and Gwanda Lithium Mine. He said that if provided with necessary water, the province can become one of the major contributors to the nation’s agricultural sector.
“I’m pleased by what I have seen in Matabeleland South and I have seen what needs to be done in these village business units, in the commercial and agricultural companies, as well as the mining companies, in order to develop our nation,” he said.
“We now know what we have to do as Government to enhance Matabeleland South’s economy for the betterment of not only the province but the entire nation.”
VP Chiwenga said the projects he toured show Matabeleland South’s unwavering support for Government’s development and rural industrialization agenda, as land that was once lying idle has been turned into vibrant mining and farming activities and projects that had started small have grown in leaps and bounds.
He commended Garanyemba Drought Mitigation Centre farmers for embracing the project and working hard to ensure maximum productivity saying Government’s vision is for the drought mitigation centre to serve as the heart of food security, nutrition and value addition and be a flagship not only in Matabeleland South but an example countrywide.
VP Chiwenga said such projects seek to navigate development from grassroots level up to national level, and linked this with growing the country’s economy at large, starting with empowering people at household level through improved income and livelihoods.
He said the Garanyemba project will be equipped with cattle fattening equipment to ensure that it is fully operational.
Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Albert Nguluvhe, said the visit by VP Chiwenga to the province is a clear manifestation of Government’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services who is also Gwanda legislator, Dr Omphile Marupi, said having Garanyemba pilot the drought mitigation centre programme is a huge development boost for the community. He urged the community to embrace the opportunity and move forward in unity.
The US$54 million Gwanda Lithium mining venture is a subsidiary of Chinese global investor Tsingshan Holdings Limited Group. Since its inception in January 2024, Gwanda has been producing about 2 000 tonnes per day of lithium concentrate. The lithium mine employs over 400 people.
Production is expected to reach one million tonnes of ore and 200 000 tonnes of lithium concentrate annually once the plant reaches full production capacity.
Once complete, Tuli-Manyange Dam, which has a holding capacity of 35 million cubic metres, is expected to provide raw water for irrigation purposes, boosting food security in Matabeleland South.
The dam is set to provide relief to Matabeleland South, a province usually characterised by low annual rainfall patterns, which have eroded the sustenance capabilities of most households.
About 1 600 hectares of land will be put under irrigation once the project is complete and the dam will serve Vela, Guyu Business Centre, Ntalale Business Centre, Chelesa Business Centre, Sizhubane Barracks, Manama Mission and Business Centre, Sebasa and Mankonkoni irrigation schemes.
The Garanyemba Village Business Unit (VBU) project is designed to boost the rural economy through sustainable agriculture and business development. It focuses on transitioning the community from subsistence farming to thriving rural enterprises by providing infrastructure like solar-powered boreholes for irrigation, drip irrigation systems, and training in business management and animal husbandry.
In Beitbridge, VP Chiwenga visited the new multi-million dollar Orange Ville citrus production project, some 40km west of the border town. The project includes a citrus plantation and juice processing plant. At Nottingham Estate, he toured the ongoing dam construction, solar plant, and the expansion of a citrus project.
He also visited the Palm River Special Economic Zone project, which includes a thermal power station, a chrome smelting plant, and a coal coking plant, among other segments. — @DubeMatutu
