…Tende-Runde construction sends shockwaves in Chivi South Villagers
Courage Dutiro / Emmanuel Chitsika
With memories of the Tugwi-Mukosi dam relocations fresh in their minds, villagers in ward 23 of Chivi South constituency are living in fear following the filtering through of news of construction of Tende-Runde dam.
Located less than 20 km South-West of Tugwi-Mukosi dam, the villagers who lived through the ‘horrors’ of the cruel displacements that saw villagers mostly from Zunga, Zifunzi and other areas adjacent to the now biggest inland dam (Tugwi-Mukosi) to Chingwizi Camp, are in fear the same mishap might befall them anytime should the construction come to fruition.
This year 2023 saw the resurfacing and grading of road that has been mal-functional for nearly two decades leading to the area where the dam wall is reportedly sited. The road linking the dam wall site to the main Beitbridge highway has sent shock waves down the spines of most villagers who may sooner or later find their way out of their tribal lands to a yet to be known destination.
Tende-Runde dam, whose feasibility study started in 2017 according to statistics from government is expected to be two and half times bigger than Tugwi-Mukosi (1.8 billion cubic meters stretching over 40 km).
The total cost for its construction is estimated at US$ 400 million. Its dam wall is estimated at 90 meters high.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira confirmed the imminent construction of the dam saying it is part of government’s National Development Strategy (NDS1) though he quickly pointed out that before the actual construction starts, prior consultations of affected communities and stakeholders will be made.
“The construction of Tende-Runde dam is in government plans considering that it is part of the NDS 1 blue print slated to end by the year 2025. The dam construction is part of government flagship projects within the period of NDS 1 and that means from now up to 2025 something must be taking place concerning Tende-Runde dam.
“All the procedures that need to be followed will be followed in due course like engagement of the communities, consultation of other key stakeholders. The feasibility study of the dam was done long back and all the processes required will be followed leading to the construction of the dam,” said Chadzamira.
He however said the maintaining and grading of roads is part of government work pointing to devolution principles.
“Coming to the grading of roads, it is government’s role to see to it that roads are well maintained as part of devolution projects that also includes maintaining and constructing new clinics. The dam construction is on the cards and will go ahead as planned,” added Chadzamira.
Chivi District Development Coordinator (DDC) Innocent Matingwina moved in to allay the fears and stated that there are no prospects of relocation yet due to the construction of the dam if it starts.
“Yes, the grading of the road is work that was done by government. I would like to believe that if there is panic among villagers, it is panic that is not supported with facts. Ideally when government has plans to relocate people, there are prior notifications that are done to the concerned people through community leaders like traditional leaderships and consultations are done with regards to compensation issues.
“So far there is nothing of that sort (issues of relocation) meaning to say the fears need to be allayed because there are no issues of relocation that need to be done at this juncture. The dam is already sited really well and is in no way affecting any settlement. Government will only communicate with villagers where there are prospects of movement but if there are none, we just assume everything is normal,” said Matingwina.
One elderly widow from Hoto village said the prospects of being relocated is giving her headaches considering that she is no longer fit enough to start building again.
“Haa zvakatooma chaiko, tinongonzwa kuti iro dhamhu roda kutovakwa apa takatoona mugwagwa uchigadzirwa wakapedzisira kufamba Chigwitima naShu-Shine kare kare. Zvino isu nezera redu iri unoti tatichanogona kutanga kuvaka misha here kana kuti zvotoda zera richiduku (The issue of being displaced by the dam is no easy to come to real terms with especially after realizing how serious government is with the project shown by the grading of the old road which was abandoned during the era when Shu-Shine and Gwitima buses were still operating. The issue of constructing shelter from afresh would require the young and able bodied not our ages,” said the old granny.
Another villager expressed fears of government ending up dumping and neglecting the relocated people like what happened to those displaced by Tugwi-Mukosi while at the same time questioning the logic of having two big dams in the same area.
“Yaaa this issue of being displaced is not an easy thing to accept or even come to terms with. If you look at the manner in which the last batch of villagers who were in the Tugwi-Mukosi dam area were moved out of the area with no compensation and dumped at Chingwizi, one would realize how bad the situation can be,” said the villager.
To one villager who preferred to identify self as Mhofu the prospects of relocating are nothing to worry about as he bragged that he would soon become a rich person after being compensated when the time comes.
“Just like what happened to those who were first relocated when Tugwi-Mukosi dam was constructed, we are going to get money from the compensation and all those who are ignoring me would just get green with envy as I get my money.
“I don’t even care even if I am taken to Chingwizi, I won’t mind as long as I get my compensation. Whether we like it or not, the bottom line is we are going to be moved out of this area when the construction gets underway,” said Mhofu.
Educational psychologist Dr Munyaradzi Chidarikire weighed in suggesting that government should move in quickly to the communities likely to be affected and offer counseling services so that the villagers would be psychologically prepared for the relocation.
“Whenever there are movements or displacement of people taking into account that they would have emotional attachments to such places because some had graves of departed relatives, houses and sentimental values to such places, the moment that person is displaced, he/she is psychologically affected. There is need for government to consult those people, explain to them the reasons why they are displaced and only then would they be emotionally prepared to relocate.
“Some people believe in attachment to the departed and feel they look after them and if that person if forcibly removed from such areas without their consent, they become psychologically disoriented. The fact that when they are displaced, they will start their lives afresh like building houses and even acclimatizing to the new set up which won’t be easy. Displacement cannot only affect the elderly; young children at school also suffer the effects which may lead to academic failure during the process of settling down. Settling down into the new environment is not easy as some will lose their sources of livelihoods in areas they are leaving and won’t be able to find it in the new setup,” said Dr Chidarikire.
He said those people will have ‘a fear of the unknown’ and thus government should look at ways of incentivizing the relocations like offering more land that the currently occupied.
“That fear of the unknown may lead to the affected person being dysfunctional which may build anger in them and the end result will be the people renting their frustration towards whoever will preside over their relocations or even government like what is happening in all those areas where people have been displaced.
“Government should dispatch professional counselors to the communities in question on time before anything pointing to the actual construction of the dam gets in motion. Obviously it won’t be logical that a dam is constructed with people still in the area within the dam,” he added.
After the completion of Tugwi-Mukosi, scores of villagers approximately 20 000 of them (estimated 3 300 families) staying within and near the dam were affected by the resultant flooding that hit the area around 2014-15 prompting the Civil Protection Unit to intervene with the help of the army in rescue operations to save lives.
An estimated 2 500 households upstream were displaced by the dam.
Some among the last batch of the relocation were resisting the hurried relocation as they demanded that government pay them their compensation before leaving the area as they feared they would not get their dues once the relocation was done.
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