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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Tshikwalakwala Irrigation Scheme in Beitbridge East constituency, about 135 kilometres outside the border town, is grinding to a halt after farmers at the project failed to repair four irrigation pumps and a fence which were destroyed by floods in 2013-14.

The situation has worsened the food security situation in the district where 10 220 households have been placed under Government’s drought relief programme.

The Government-owned irrigation scheme, which was initiated in 1965 and used to be the agricultural backbone for Beitbridge, has since become a pale shadow of its former self.

In an interview last week, the irrigation management committee chairman Mr John Kibi Muleya said the once viable scheme was grinding to a halt.

He said they used to operate with four diesel-powered pumps and five boreholes.

“The situation here is a cause for concern considering that we are in Natural Region 5 where crop husbandry depends mostly on irrigation farming,” he said.

“As villagers, we have tried to pool our resources together, but that is not enough. As you can see, the 65 hectares have turned into a thick bush.”

Mr Muleya said the situation at the project was frustrating, adding that most of the135 plot-holders had started pulling out.

“After the floods we tried to reduce the tillage land to 20 hectares but still our efforts are hitting a brick wall due to chronic water shortages,” he said.

Mr Muleya said the irrigation scheme was a source of livelihood for over 1 000 households in t Ward 1, where the population stands above 4 500 people.

Mr Muleya appealed to Government and other development players to install solar- powered engines at the project, since the area was not electrified and that diesel pumps were expensive to run.

A plot-holder, Mr Nelson Sibanda, said: “We have just repaired one diesel-powered engine and drilled two more boreholes. However, we are considering drilling more boreholes on higher ground to avoid the recurrent effects of floods on our engines”.

Mr Sibanda said they needed to carry out minimal repairs on irrigation canals damaged by wild animals, including elephants and buffaloes.

Senator for Beitbridge Cde Tambudzani Mohadi, who visited the project last week, said the situation was dire.

“We are appealing to all development players to partner Government in reviving irrigation farming across the district,” he said.

“Our people are drought hard hit and we need to work on finding lasting solutions to problems bedeviling major irrigation schemes in the district. As a people-oriented Government we cannot stand aside and watch people suffering.”

Beitbridge Proportional Representation parliamentarian Ms Lisa Singo said the situation at Tshikwalakwala was particularly serious on the elderly and women at household level.

“The situation is dire, especially when we consider the plight of the elderly and orphans and vulnerable children among other low- income earners,” she said.