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Conrad Mupesa–Mashonaland West Bureau

Villagers have commended Zvimba Rural District Council for rising to the occasion in the fight against livestock related diseases through the construction and rehabilitation of at least 20 dip tanks using Devolution Funds.

Speaking recently during commissioning of a rehabilitated Chikambi dip tank in the district’s Ward 6, traditional leaders and farmers said the decision by the council to dedicate part of the Devolution Funds towards upgrade and construction of dip tanks was the best.

Chief Zvimba (Mr Stanley Mhondoro) thanked the council for coming up with the initiative to help ring fence livestock.

“We are happy to note that the council is heeding the call to help fight January and other livestock diseases through the construction and rehabilitation of dip tanks. We want more of these to be constructed throughout the district as January disease ravaged cattle around the area,” he said.

Communal farmers around Chikambi dip tank joined hands with the council to upgrade the facility which is also equipped with an ablution facility for the dip tank attendant and the villagers.

For villager Mr Rabreck Jenami of Zvimba’s Ward 15 who lost his entire herd of 16 cattle to January disease last year, the move by council was all that the villagers were waiting for.

He is among hundreds of farmers from Hurungwe Farm in same ward, whose cattle were decimated by the disease.

In a bid to ring fence their source of wealth the Hurungwe Farm beneficiaries have been moulding bricks for the rehabilitation of a dip tank in their area.

Through its share of the Devolution Funds, Zvimba RDC dedicated the resources to rehabilitate two dip tanks with the community providing bricks, sand and labour.

Chikambi and Hurungwe Farm dip tanks are part of the 20 dip tanks that are rehabilitated and constructed by council with the help of the farmers.

The council has also released funds for the construction of Makwadzi dip tank in Ward 32 which has been completed.

The move by council, dovetails well with the Second Republic’s Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan which seeks to attain a US$2 billion livestock economy by the year 2025 and contribute to food security and nutrition, employment creation, household incomes and, ultimately, growth of the rural economy as we journey towards Vision 2030.

Representing Zvimba RDC, Mr Remember Shumba said the council’s target was to dedicate Devolution Funds towards high impact projects, including dip tanks, boreholes, clinics and schools’ classroom blocks.

Government’s director of veterinary field services, Dr Jairos Machakwa who addressed farmers at the commissioning ceremony said the relationship that existed between council and villagers was going to make Zimbabwe attain the targeted livestock economy.

In a speech read on her behalf by Ms Cecilia Chitiyo, a director in her officer, Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka commended efforts of the council before calling the communal farmers to religiously dip their herds. 

Provincial veterinary extension officer, Dr Thokozani Mswela said the ultimate goal of the department in the area was to make sure that more dip tanks are availed to the communities to limit distance travelled to dip their animals.