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Hon Marapira Davis

George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
The completion of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam is expected to benefit over 3 000 families through the provision of irrigation at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi, a Government official has said. The families were displaced by flooding in the Tokwe-Mukosi basin and spent about six months at Chingwizi Holding Camp before being moved to permanent plots in the vast Nuanetsi Ranch last week.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development responsible for Cropping Dr Davis Marapira last week said Government was looking for resources to set up irrigation infrastructure for the families. He said Government wanted companies to contract families at Nuanetsi to grow crops of their choice in return for funding to set up irrigation infrastructure.

“We have an irrigation master plan for Tokwe-Mukosi Dam and the plan also shows how families displaced by the dam will benefit in terms of irrigation, but the major challenge that we have at the moment is lack of resources to install the irrigation system, he said.

“We want companies to come forward and fund the installation of irrigation infrastructure at the Nuanetsi Ranch and then contract families who have land to grow crops which the companies in question would want to consume in their operations.”

Deputy Minister Marapira said companies such as Lowvled sugar producer Tongaat Hulett could contract farmers at Nuanetsi ranch to grow sugar cane, which is the firm’s major raw material.

He said Government completed surveying over 5 000 hectares of potential irrigation land at Nuanetsi Ranch.
“Our goal is to make sure that once Tokwe-Mukosi Dam has been completed our people should start benefiting through irrigation, said Deputy Minister Marapira.

“We want to create a greenbelt stretching from parts of Chivi to Mwenezi using irrigation.’’ Tokwe-Mukosi Dam is almost complete, with contractors now working on strengthening the dam wall after draining all the water that had accumulated in the last rainy season.

The dam would have potential to irrigate 25 000 hectares and benefit communities in drought-stricken parts of Chivi, Mwenezi and Matibi 2. Sugar production in the Lowveld is expected to rise by about 15 percent as more land will be opened up for irrigation using water from the dam.

Meanwhile, Government says it will introduce regular patrols in the Tokwe-Mukosi flood basin in Chivi to make sure that families relocated to Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi do not return to their original homes.

Mwenezi District Administrator Mr Benard Hadzirabwi last week said the relocated families would not be allowed to return to the basin.
Some families returned to their homes after being fed up with life at Chingwizi Camp where they stayed for almost six months before Government moved all the camp dwellers to permanent one-hectare plots recently.

Mr Hadzirabwi said only those who wanted to harvest their crops were being allowed back in the basin.
“The only people in the flood basin are those who came back to harvest their crops. Some left crops that were almost maturing and we allowed them to return and harvest and once they finish they will go back to their new homes,” he said.

“We will not allow any families to return because very soon the rains will start falling and the families will be in danger of being flooded again.”
Mr Hadzirabwi said returnees would be sent packing. “We will have teams that will conduct regular patrols in the basin because people are no longer allowed to stay there.

“Government is very clear that the basin is now an area under the dam so people should not continue to settle there,’’ he said.
Those who returned to their original homes were reportedly frustrated with overcrowded conditions at Chingwizi camp.
They were also not happy with failure by Government to compensate them.