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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Commercial stands at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in southern Masvingo are still not yet up for grabs until a detailed master plan determining the land-use pattern at the country’s largest inland reservoir has been crafted, Government has said.

Work on the main master plan for the dam is still ongoing, amid reports progress was being hampered by foreign currency shortages to pay a South African consultant.

Commercial stands at Tugwi-Mukosi are in high demand owing to vast economic opportunities at the 1,8 billion cubic metres dam especially in areas such as tourism.

There were also unconfirmed media reports that most of the commercial stands at the dam had already been snapped up, a situation that caused anxiety.

Director (Physical Planning) in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Mr Honesty Magaya last week said Tugwi-Mukosi commercial stands had not yet been designated.

In his presentation before a team led by the Tugwi-Mukosi Inter-ministerial committee chair and Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri, during a tour of the dam, Mr Magaya said only institutional stands were being applied for.

“On the issue of where applications for those who want commercial stands here are directed, let me make it clear that so far we are only receiving applications from institutions such as the Midlands State University which is interested in opening a Tugwi-Mukosi Multi-Disciplinary Research Institute, we are not yet entertaining applications for commercial stands,” he said.

“We will only consider the issue of applications for commercial activities once a detailed land-use plan is in place. That plan will be in the main master plan which is still being worked on. After the detailed land use plan is out, we will then be able to allot a number to each stand.’’

Mr Magaya said only strategic installations such as the dam harbour, navigation mast, among others, have so far been cited and will be incorporated into the main master plan.

This was after Acting Masvingo Provincial Administrator Mr Roy Hove had told Mr Magaya that he had been sent by Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira to inquire on the application procedure for commercial stands at the dam.

There has been growing concern over delays in completing the Tugwi-Mukosi’s main master plan which is expected to open avenues for an influx of investment at the dam.

Chivi South National Assembly Member Cde Killer Zivhu told the taskforce that people in his district were increasingly getting frustrated by delays to complete the main master plan.

“We have been repeatedly told that the master plan will be in place soon, but after waiting for so long we are still to see anything on the ground, can we now be told the truth about when this master plan will finally be in place?’’ asked Cde Zivhu.