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Lovemore Chikova Development Dialogue

Rural areas in Zimbabwe have been marginalised for a long time, with such a practice reaching its heights during the colonial era when successive racist governments did not care much about the areas where locals lived.

Yet, the rural areas have a potential to kick-start the development of the country because they are endowed with all the ingredients that matter to economic progress.

There are a lot of prospects in the rural areas hinged on the available resources such as minerals, agricultural land, tourism, water bodies, labour and many others, resources that are necessary for the development of any country.

Things are changing drastically in Zimbabwe in terms of the development trajectory since the coming in of the New Dispensation led by President Mnangagwa.

The Second Republic did well to realise in time that efforts to initiate development will be ineffective if the rural areas are left behind .

This thinking is now a game changer in the country’s development trajectory.

Prioritising rural development is set to transform the face of Zimbabwe because it involves taking the initiatives to where the majority of the people live.

This is helpful in the achievement of Vision 2030 which aims at attaining an upper middle income economy by that year.

The more development is spread across the country, the more the beneficiaries and when the incomes improve, they do so on a wider scale.

President Mnangagwa has since made it clear that the Second Republic will accelerate rural modernisation and industrialisation to create jobs, improve livelihoods and transform lives of the once marginalised rural communities. The National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) is very clear on the importance of rural development and this is being transformed into practical action.

Life changing developments are taking place in the rural areas.

In recent past, there has been the opening of industries that depend on local raw materials for value addition and beneficiation.

But these should serve as examples of what investors can achieve by venturing into projects in the rural areas.

Instead of small scale farmers in Mutoko and surrounding areas having to bear the cost and labour of transporting their produce to bigger markets like those found in Harare, a factory that processes such products has been established in the district.

President Mnangagwa officially commissioned the Tabudirira Fruit and Vegetable Processing Hub recently, which is aimed at empowering youths and promoting value addition of local farming produce.

This is set to create employment as more people turn to farming because they can now realise the results of such a venture.

In Mwenezi district in Masvingo, President Mnangagwa commissioned another factory, this time for the processing of the abundant mapfura/amarula fruits that can be exploited into making various types of wines.

In fact, people around this area, and many in the southern parts of Masvingo were used to making their own wine from these fruits which they called mukumbi.

They gather the fruit when it is in season, mainly during the crop harvesting period around March, April and May.

They then preserve the fruits to allow them to complete the harvesting period without any distractions. After harvesting time when everyone is now free from any form of work, then the flood gates open.

The villagers start brewing mukumbi from the mapfura/amarula fruits and this is mainly for sale to raise funds for school fees and to fund the next planting season.

Actually, there are a lot of my friends whom I went to primary school with whose fees were paid from the proceeds of mukumbi.

Some of them are now highly regarded professionals in their chosen careers.

The coming in of the mapfura/amarula plant is going to enable the processing of this fruit on a higher scale, giving a chance for the villagers to make more money through collecting and selling the fruit to the plant.

There are many other industries that have been established in different parts of the country to process locally available resources into finished products ready for sale at big markets.

Cognisant of that rural development is anchored on agriculture, many water bodies have been established in different areas for the purposes of enhancing agriculture.

Big dam projects like Marovanyati Dam in Buhera, Muchekeranwa Dam at the border of Manicaland and Mashonaland East provinces, Tugwi Mukosi Dam in Chivi South and many other such projects have been completed.

In Matabeleland South, one of the biggest dam projects in the country — Lake Gwayi-Shangani in Hwange District — now nears completion, nearly 110 years after it was pegged.

The project was lying dormant, almost neglected, but when President Mnangagwa came in, work resumed in earnest and the project is now nearing completion.

Lake Gwayi-Shangani will have a huge impact on rural development in the Matabeleland region that will leave a major impression on communities.

The lake is part of the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, which upon completion is expected to provide a permanent water solution for Bulawayo and the Matabeleland region.

Areas of rural development expected to benefit from the massive lake include tourism, agriculture, value chain, infrastructure development, health and well-being and food security. A 10-megawatt power plant will be established at the lake.

The integrated master plan of the lake and its environs will include a 245km pipeline that connects the water body to Bulawayo City.

The water pipeline will play an important role in the devolution process, as locals along the way will make use of the water for irrigation purposes.

At the same time, the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority has been re-engineered to work towards the development of rural areas, mainly through agriculture.

Recently, President Mnangagwa launched the rural development authority’s Vision 2030 Accelerator Model aimed at increasing crop production in rural areas through the use of irrigation and modern technologies.

The model is expected to uplift rural development, as ARDA optimally utilises at least 26 000 hectares under irrigation schemes.

Under the model, employment will be created for local communities providing labour to the irrigation schemes that are dotted around the country.

Villagers will be roped in as shareholders in the schemes and ARDA is expected to pay a dividend on profit to approximately 55 000 families and direct beneficiaries, with an estimated assistance to one million indirect beneficiaries.

The model will guarantee food, feed and fibre security for rural communities.

Plants will be set up for value addition and beneficiation of agricultural produce from the rural areas, while model farming ventures will be established for the training of rural farmers.

The rural development trajectory being pursued by the New Dispensation will result in the improvement of quality of life and economic well-being of those residing in the rural areas.

The end result will eventually be the eradication of poverty in rural areas, especially when new technologies are harmonised with indigenous knowledge systems that is dominant in many rural areas.

With so many projects being undertaken, everyone in the rural areas, including vulnerable groups such as girls, women, youths and the disabled, will have an opportunity to participate in development for their personal benefit.

The proceeds from such development can be ploughed back into the society and invested in infrastructure like roads, energy, information communication technologies, irrigation and housing.

This can easily stop the long running problem of rural to urban migration as employment is created within the rural areas.

It is expected that the industrialisation and modernisation of the rural areas will result in industries being set up at business centres that are otherwise known as growth points.

There is no doubt that the approach being undertaken by the New Dispensation will result in the catapulting of rural communities into the 21st development economy.