adminstrategic alliances and execution of its broad mandate of exploiting, conserving and manage the water resources of Zimbabwe.
Zinwa is at the fulcrum of Masvingo’s socio-economic transformation. The province has large water bodies such as Lake Mutirikwi, Manjirenji and Bangala dams.
These dams have transformed the dry expansive region into a sugar belt. Besides watering the thirsty plantations, these dams have also become renowned tourism resort centres providing aquatic sports and recreational facilities.
The thriving sugar industry is built on equitable accessibility and efficient allocation, distribution, use and sustainable water use in the region and good water management.
The greenbelt is hinged primarily on water resources from six dams namely Mutirikwi, Bangala, Nyajena, Manjirenji, Muzhwi and Tokwane Barrage.
Zinwa in pursuit of its broad mandate to exploit, conserve and manage the water resources of Zimbabwe with the objective of –
(i) securing equitable accessibility and efficient allocation, distribution, use and development; and
(ii) providing, in both the short and the long term, adequate water on a cost-effective basis; has entered into key and strategic relationship with the lowveld sugar industry.
Mkwasine, Hippo Valley and Triangle estates are the oldest and biggest sugar plantations in the country.
These two estates are at the centre of Chiredzi town. Life in the town revolves around growth and production at the two estates.
Clowes and Breakwell (1998:87) state that sugar cane is a perennial plant belonging to the grass family and does well in the lowveld where altitude is around 400 metres, typified by very hot summers and short cold winters.
The crop also requires a lot of water, to the tune of about 590-mm annually. Mkwasine Estates said that it has a maximum milling quota of 800 000 tonnes from the two millers, Hippo Valley and Triangle.
The breakeven point for sugar cane is on average 60 tonnes per hectare although the yield can go as far as 115 tonnes per hectare.
Mkwasine was established in 1968 as a parastatal for wheat production and was later acquired by Triangle and Hippo Valley and turned into sugar production over an area of 4 331 ha.
Water runs down the canal from Manjirenji dam about 30-40 km upstream and there is 230 km of canals on the estate.
Triangle Estates has a behemoth 13 927 hectares under cane and 1 916 hectares at Mwenezana.
Hippo Valley was established in 1956 as a citrus estate and has 12 500 ha (124 square kilometres) under sugar cane producing yields of about 105 tonnes/ha drawing 185 667 megalitres of water per year.
Sugar cane is a labour intensive type of crop as almost half of the costs are spent on labour.
According to Sundara (1998) the cost structure in sugar cane farming is such that human labour takes 45 percent, pesticides consume 4 percent, manure and fertilisers take 14 percent, seed take 14 percent, machine labour takes 17 percent and interests consume 4 percent. These statistics makes it possible for the sugar plantations to play the critical role of providing employment for the majority of the residents in surrounding areas. However, the majority of the jobs are manual and low skilled.
In an enduring partnership, these estates are playing a critical role in the development of Tokwe-Mukosi dam.
The finalisation of this project will among other things spur tourism and economic growth, as the sugar plantations will exponentially grow.
Let us bring this proposition closer to home. The recent developments in Middle Sabi and Chisumbanje bear testimony to the preceding assertions.
Checheche growth point is poised for town status soon after establishment of the US$600 million Green Fuels Ethanol plant at Chisumbanje.
The ethanol plant would be fed by cane produced at Middle Sabi and Chisumbanje Arda estates.
This was made possible by a partnership between the state’s agricultural authority and two private companies Ratings and Macdom. Millionaire Billy Rautenbach controls these.
The project water needs are supplied 100 percent by Zinwa. To kick-start the project that has transformed the local community the joint venture had to resuscitate canals and other irrigation infrastructure at the estates. This also included rehabilitation of smallholder irrigation plots in the area.
The Green fuels project is expected to have 50 000ha under cane when fully operational, producing 140 percent of the country’s petroleum needs.
It will also create over 10 000 jobs directly and several thousand in downstream industry.
Above all, it will be centre for all economic development and activity in the semi-arid lowveld.
In all fairness the success of the project will once and for all expose Zinwa’s competence and professionalism in being able to service what will arguably become one of the largest irrigation schemes in Zimbabwe.
Green Fuels wants to produce ethanol that can be blended into fuel while the residue would be used in electricity generation to power the plant’s operations.
The ethanol and electricity are generated to save foreign currency and substitute imports.
This would also reduce the burden on the fiscus as there would be import substitution when electricity is generated locally and fuel is manufactured locally.
Zinwa remains committed to increasing water capacity, support agriculture and play its part in the development of the economy.
Climate change has further given us the impetus to increase water supply and guarantee its availability to all our stakeholders.
- This water column is published weekly by Zimbabwe National Water Authority. We welcome any questions and suggestion and these can be channeled to:Zinwa PR Department, 12th Floor Old Mutual Centre
Corner 3rd street and Jason Moyo Avenue Harare Email: [email protected] Phone:04 797604/5; 797610-3.
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