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George Maponga  Masvingo Bureau

Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body, Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, will soon change its name to Lake Tugwi-Mukosi, after the Government gazettes the reservoir as a recreational facility.

The development will enable the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) to claim a stake in the water body.

Tugwi-Mukosi falls under the ambit of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).

The name change into Lake Tugwi-Mukosi is expected to spur the development of tourism benefiting surrounding communities.

Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo last week confirmed the development.

“We understand that the process to gazette the dam (Tugwi-Mukosi) as a recreational facility is already underway and once that happens it will become Lake Tugwi-Mukosi just like other bigger national dams in the country,” he said.

“That process (gazetting as a recreational facility) will undoubtedly lead to development of tourism projects at the dam because currently it is still under full control of Zinwa.”

Mr Farawo said Zimparks was playing a limited role where it was involved in anti-poaching activities working in conjunction with the police.

Zimparks was also involved in budding fisheries projects at Tugwi-Mukosi.

Mr Farawo said when the dam’s name change into a lake was effected, work on the planned game park in the reservoir’s buffer zone will start.

“Work around planning and demarcation of the proposed game park around Tugwi-Mukosi will start in earnest once ZimParks is fully involved in the new lake,” he said.

Preliminary plans envisage the creation of a mega wildlife habitat at Tugwi-Mukosi that will be stocked with the Big Five.