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Nqobile Tshili

Bulawayo Bureau

THE Presidential Fishing Rigs that were allocated to the Binga community last year have created employment for locals, improved food security and provided a source of livelihood for beneficiaries.

In April 2022, President Mnangagwa donated 17 fishing rigs to chiefs in Binga, women and youths as part of Government’s empowerment initiatives.

The Second Republic is on a drive to uplift rural communities with particular attention being given to Binga which historically lagged behind in terms of development.

Government is utilising local resources to transform rural communities and in Binga fish farming is a low hanging fruit in realising the country’s rural industrialisation agenda. Plans are on course to shift from subsistence to commercial fish farming which will see the establishment of canning factories in the previously forgotten Binga district.

To achieve this, Government is set to build cold rooms within fishing areas so that fishermen realise the real value of their labour. A tender has since been awarded to a company that is going to install the cold rooms this year.

The development will be a departure from what is obtaining at the moment where most of the fish are disposed of at a give away price.

A Chronicle news crew last year visited Binga district and community members spoke about the impact of President Mnangagwa’s donated fishing rigs.

They commended President Mnangagwa for providing them with fishing rigs which are positively transforming their community.

The news crew observed some fishermen operating fishing rigs in Simatelele village. Chief Siachilaba said they are already realising profits from the presidential programme. “We have managed to start fishing and I’m happy to say we were able to pay examination fees for our children who are sitting for public examinations this year,” said Chief Siachilaba.

“The reason why Government gave us the boats was to uplift our lives. I have been able to employ young men from this area who are also benefiting from this rig.

“They are able to pay school fees for their children and the money they get also assists them in their daily lives.”

He said plans to industrialise Binga through fish and kapenta farming is important as that speaks to using local resources for development.

“Fish are very sensitive so people would just make any offer and we would quickly sell as we would be knowing that the longer we keep them; they lose value. Hence, we are happy with the plans to set up a cold room which means we won’t just be disposing of our fish but getting real value for them,” he added.

Chief Siachilaba commended President Mnangagwa’s Second Republic for zeroing in on Binga in terms of development projects saying this inclusive development approach makes everyone feel part of Zimbabwe.

Chief Saba who also benefited from the Presidential Fishing Rig programme said the fishing rigs are going to lift the community from poverty.

“These fishing rigs are not just benefiting us as chiefs in this area. We have vulnerable members of the public such as orphans, child headed families and elderly we have always been looking after.

Hence, these rigs have empowered us to take care of them through the proceeds we get from kapenta farming we have just started doing.

We have also employed others to work here so this programme is cushioning the communities from various shocks,” said Chief Saba.

He said there is need to fully capacitate traditional leaders as Government promised as they are a conduit for rural development.

The news crew also visited Simatelele where the chiefs’ boats operate from.

Those who operate the fishing rigs expressed optimism over the prospects of kapenta farming.

Mr Jayani Mudimba said he previously depended on unreliable menial jobs to provide for his family but working under Chief Siachilaba’s fishing programme is proving sustainable for him.

“We have been working here for three and half months. We are now able to provide for our families as well as pay school fees, something that we were struggling to do before we started working here,” said Mr Mudimba.

Binga District Development Coordinator Mr Land Kabome Siansole said Government was working towards addressing hiccups that have resulted in delays in allocating all the resources needed for the fishing programme.

“The chiefs were given the fishing rigs and they are happy and they are into fishing now. Of course we have some challenges in terms of fuel, in terms of the salt and Government in due course is going to address that because it is part of the package that was provided to chiefs.

We are saying for a start Government is going to provide fuel and salt for three months as part of the empowerment programme for the chiefs,” said Mr Siansole.

He said Government made a deliberate position to equip Binga chiefs with fishing rigs as they did not benefit from the land reform programme for them to be productive and help their subjects.

Mr Siansole said fish and kapenta farming will spur Binga’s rural industrialisation.

He said Government was working towards commercialising fish farming in Binga and this entails installation of cold rooms.

“The Government is thinking of expanding that by building cold rooms in Mlibizi, Simatelele, Chubuyu which are the main areas where fish trading takes place. This will do away with the prevailing situation where these fishermen are at the mercy of unscrupulous dealers,” he said.

“Instead of aiming to dispose they will just store them and seek for a better market or when they reach a tonnage they will supply certain hotels such as Elephant Hills in Victoria Falls and so forth.

“But now they cannot supply those big lodges and hotels because of small quantities and when we have all those big cold rooms they will be able to supply them.”

Mr Siansole said a tender has been awarded to a company that is going to install the cold rooms this year.

“The fishermen within that package will be given some canoes. We are on a rural industrialisation drive and it is our wish that we actually create industries like fish canning. We cannot put that industry if we rely on these erratic supplies,” he said.

“If we have organised supply, there is also going to be package of these fishing ponds. We have actually identified places along the lake so that there will be some fishing ponds which will complement what would be extracted from the lake.”

Mr Siansole said his office has engaged the community to sensitise them on the rural industrialisation thrust meant to uplift them.