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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Government has cleared the air on the stalled US$12 million contract awarded to a Chinese firm five years ago to clear 6 000 hectares of irrigation land for Tugwi-Mukosi flood victims at the Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi.

The Chinese firm, China Nanchang Engineering, was in 2013 awarded a contract to clear irrigation land for families that were going to be displaced by the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in Chivi at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi.

The contract was awarded to Nanchang Engineering by the then Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate representing the Government of Zimbabwe and the firm subsequently moved its equipment on site that year.

The firm has up to now not started land clearing despite mobilising equipment five years ago, sparking fears that Government might be incurring interest on the stalled project.

It has since emerged that Government swiftly put the contract on suspension following the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam basin flooding disaster in early 2014, which compelled authorities to embark on unplanned mass relocation of families threatened by surging floods to Chingwizi camp.

Director of Water Resources, Planning and Management in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Mr Tinayeshe Mutazu allayed fears that Government would suffer financial prejudice over the stalled Nachang land clearing contract. He said the contract could still either be reactivated or cancelled.

“The position is that the land clearing contract awarded to Nachang Engineering is on suspension and the company was advised to move some of its key equipment to other projects it might have and there is a clear position on the way forward,” said Mr Mutazu.

“As things stand, the land clearing contract might be cancelled in which Government will only have to pay costs for cancellation of the contract or the contract will be re-activated and the company is given something to do in the Nuanetsi area.”

Mr Mutazu said the land clearing contract had to be suspended following the Tugwi-Mukosi basin flooding emergency which forced Government to prioritise evacuation of families to avoid loss of life.

“Government ended up channelling funds meant for the land clearing by Nanchang to finance the relocation of families, livestock and property of families that were under threat from floods at Tugwi-Mukosi,” he said.

“The first priority for Government was to save lives then and that is why the land clearing contract was eventually suspended.”

Government relocated close to 3 000 families from the Tugwi-Mukosi basin to Chingwizi temporary camp – about 180 kilometres away – marking arguably the largest ever mass relocation of people in post-independent Zimbabwe.

The relocation to Chingwizi changed the whole planned matrix to clear land for families that were displaced by Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.

After briefly staying at the overcrowded Chingwizi camp, the flood victims were allocated permanent one-hectare plots at Nuanetsi where they have already build homes, with Government already in the process of paying $7 million compensation due to them.

Government has repeatedly made it clear that the flood victims will be among the first beneficiaries of Tugwi-Mukosi irrigation water once the irrigation master plan is out.

Sources in the Lands Ministry said there were recommendation under consideration for Nanchang Engineering to be awarded a contract to build infrastructure such as roads and bridges in areas where the flood victims are resettled.