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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Government has paid the remaining $6 million compensation to families that were displaced from their ancestral homes in the Tugwi-Mukosi basin in Chivi to pave way for Zimbabwe’s largest inland dam.

Over 3 000 families were relocated from the dam basin in 2014 following floods that threatened to obliterate them together with houses and property.

They were relocated to Chingwizi at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi where they are expected to benefit from the dam’s water through irrigation.

Shortage of funding forced Government to pay compensation to the victims in phases. Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira yesterday said the compensation curtain has finally been brought down after Government paid Tugwi-Mukosi families their dues.

“Government recently released about $5,6 million for the remaining families at Chingwizi who had not received their monies,” he said.

“We are currently in the process of disbursing the money to the beneficiaries and we are grateful to Government for bringing closure to this chapter.”

Minister Chadzamira said the payment of compensation to Chingwizi families indicated President Mnangagwa’s deep-seated concern with the welfare of the people.

He said President Mnangagwa’s administration proved that it was pro-people by finally paying compensation to families at Chingwizi. Some of the families had expressed reservations over repeated delays to pay them their dues, almost half a decade after relocation

They cited delays in paying that were hampering efforts to rebuild their lives in the wake of their forced relocation.

Most of them lost household property and livestock, as Government, with assistance from development partners and friendly countries in the region embarked on arguably the largest single mass relocation of people in post-independent Zimbabwe.