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Cde Hungwe

George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
The political leadership in Masvingo wants Government to urgently identify a consultant tasked with identifying commercially viable projects at Tokwe Mukosi Dam, for the province to start accruing socio-economic benefits from Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body.

Tokwe Mukosi was commissioned in May last year after Government splurged nearly $300 million on the dam, making it arguably the largest investment by the State in Masvingo since independence in 1980.

The dam has not yet started bearing fruits for the province after its completion, amid growing calls for Government to start courting investors to exploit opportunities presented by the reservoir.

Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Josaya Hungwe last week said the political leadership in the province wanted a private consultant to determine the magnitude of commercially viable ventures at the dam.

He said fears of corruption and nepotism, including red tape made it necessary for Government to engage a private consultant if everyone was to benefit from the vast opportunities presented by Tokwe Mukosi.

“First of all we need to know exactly the magnitude of all commercially viable projects at the dam in such areas as tourism fisheries, irrigation etc. because at the moment that is not known,’’ he said.

“There is need for Government to engage the services of an independent private consultant, who should come up with a full package of what is offered by the dam. This will give us direction on what needs to be done and by who.’’

Senator Hungwe said Tokwe Mukosi was a sleeping giant with potential to engender large-scale socio-economic transformation in the arid province.

“We need professionals to spearhead the development of commercially viable projects at Tokwe Mukosi,” he said. “We do not want the dam to benefit the high-heeled and well-connected, we also want ordinary people in Chivi to benefit from the dam, but we need to know what is there first.’’

Senator Hungwe said the Masvingo political leadership wanted to the people of Chivi, some of whom were displaced by the dam, to be among the first beneficiaries of Tokwe Mukosi Dam.

“This dam has potential to change the lives of rural people in Chivi, but only if there is proper planning, there are prospects for production of crops such as cotton, sugar cane, wheat, maize all year round using Tokwe Mukosi water, but our people need to be capacitated, there must be investors who will partner our people,’’ he said.

Tokwe Mukosi Dam water has already started being released to irrigate Lowveld cane plantations at Triangle in Chiredzi.

There is scope for a vibrant fisheries industry and thriving tourism venture with the scenic topography around the dam idle for construction of hotels, casinos and chalets.

Tokwe Mukosi also has capacity to sustain a 15 megawatt mini-hydro power plant, which requires $25 million to install, while a mega national park is planned in the dam’s buffer zone.

A perennial greenbelt is being mooted south of the dam producing cash crops that are expected to attract agri-processing companies that will in turn spur the creation of a conurbation stretching from Chiredzi to the south east to Mwenezi.

In Mwenezi, a private firm Zimbabwe Bio Energy — fronted by businessman Mr Billy Rautenbach — is pinning its hopes of opening Zimbabwe’s second ethanol plant on Tokwe Mukosi Dam.

The ethanol plant will cost $400 million to build.