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Daniel Chigunwe Herald Correspondent

Completion of ongoing dam construction projects in Mashonaland Central province will result in accelerated growth in agricultural activities thereby improving the country’s  economy.

Dande Dam in Guruve, Semwa Dam in Rushinga, Silverstroom in Centenary and Bindura Dam are some of the huge projects in the province initiated by the Second Republic.

The completion of the projects will transform farming activities in the province.

Hailing from a strong farming background, the newly appointed Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland Central, Captain (Rtd) Christopher Magomo said he has a vision to improve the agricultural sector in the province.

Extracting largely from President Mnangagwa’s vision of achieving an upper middle income society by 2030, Minister Magomo believes agriculture remains the backbone of the province and called for the full use of all available land and dams.

“The target is to facilitate the speeding up of all the projects that are running in the province with a close eye on the progress of dam construction, especially Dande, Semwa and Silverstroom which are very central in harnessing irrigation water for commercial farming purposes,” said Minister Magomo.

A development oriented cadre, Minister Magomo is a holder of three academic degrees, a Bachelor of Science Honours in Development Studies, Bachelor of Science Special Honours in Monitoring and Evaluation and a Masters in Development Studies.

“The focus is 100 percent on development and as a province we have a lot to deliver.

“Currently, the state of our roads form the immediate attention; Harare-Bindura road we have it on cards, Harare-Guruve-Mahuwe and all the other roads which link to the capital city will have to be attended to with the swiftness they deserve,” added Minister Magomo.

Mashonaland Central province delivered a landslide victory in favour of President Mnangagwa in the August 23 and 24 harmonised elections, winning all the 18 National Assembly seats.

As a result, Minister Magomo said the have a mandate to deliver satisfactorily to the people by ensuring that critical social institutions like the healthcare and education sectors are fully capacitated to serve the people.

Born in Guruve, Chitauro village under Chief Bepura, Minister Magomo did his studies at St Phillips Mangwenya Mission School.

In 1997 he was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army and upon completing Cadet courses in 1999, he participated in the Democratic Republic of Congo war.

He retired in 2017 with the rank of Captain upon attaining 20 years of service in the military.

A hardworking tobacco and wheat farmer at Msitwe Farm in Guruve and a committed servant of the people, Minister Magomo rose from being a Zanu PF district member to secretary for transport and welfare in the party’s District Coordinating Committee structures.

In 2021, he was elected as Zanu PF provincial vice chairperson.

The humble farmer ran and won under a Zanu PF ticket to be Guruve South Member of Parliament in the August 2023 harmonised elections, before being appointed to his new role as the Provincial Minister for Mashonaland Central province.