By Tatiana Mhararira

The recently availed Tugwi Mukosi Master Plan has revealed plans aims to transform Masvingo’s agricultural sector by establishing three new irrigation schemes spanning 3,852 hectares two in Chivi and one in Masvingo District.
It also seeks to expand the existing Banga Irrigation Scheme from 64 to 195 hectares and the developments is expected to enhance food security, promote agricultural productivity, and support local economic growth.
The two in Chivi District will be in Ward 24 (Gororo) and one in Ward 34 of Masvingo District, to begin tapping into the dam’s 40 000 hectare irrigation potential.
The schemes will be established in phases of 20, 30, and 50 hectares while every household will get 0.5 hectares despite the province’s glaring irrigation deficit and long-standing food insecurity.
“The site targeted for the Gororo Irrigation Scheme has already been identified by the department of irrigation. The proposed plan involves a phased rollout of the scheme, covering 20, 30, and eventually 50 hectares, with each household allocated 0.5 hectares.
“Vast tracks of irrigable land in ward 34 of Masvingo District can also be targeted for irrigation because the drainage system in the area does not pose potential pollution and erosion to the Tugwi-Mukosi dam,” read the statement.
Tugwi-Mukosi Dam has the potential to irrigate approximately 40,000 hectares in the Lowveld region, making it a key element of Zimbabwe’s agricultural development strategy. In addition to supporting irrigation, the dam is expected to generate clean energy through a planned 15-megawatt power station.
Despite this potential, the province has 69 637 hectares under irrigation, 65,403 hectares are dedicated to sugar estates leaving only 4 234 hectares, about 10 percent of the dam’s capacity used for crop irrigation in the province. Chivi District, which shares the dam with Masvingo, has only six functional communal irrigation schemes covering a mere 272 hectares, despite also having access to Muzhwi Dam.
The government faced criticism for perceived misplaced priorities, particularly regarding plans for another massive project, Tende-Runde Dam which is expected to irrigate over 35,000 hectares and supply water to South Africa before utilising Tugwi-Mukosi.
Government officials have consistently spoken of transforming the province into an irrigation hub, with the envisioned greenbelt focused on producing citrus, sugar, and maize.
The implementation of the Tugwi-Mukosi Master Plan is expected to turn Chivi into a vibrant agricultural center, boosting food security and enhancing livelihoods for local communities.

By Beverly Bizeki

More than 3,600 families in Chivi District could be forced to relocate as the government prepares to roll out the long-awaited Tugwi Mukosi Master Plan, which outlines major development projects around Zimbabwe’s largest inland dam.
According to the draft master plan released recently and is open to public scrutiny for a three-month period, 3,652 households in the Chivi and Masvingo districts areas are expected to be directly affected, most likely through displacement.
This potential wave of displacements comes in addition to the approximately 3,300 families who were displaced a decade ago and were relocated to Chingwizi in Mwenezi after flooding from the dam inundated the Tugwi Mukosi basin.
“For Chivi District, the concerned wards have a population of 38,644 while for Masvingo Rural District they have a population of 35,422. However, there are about 3,652 households which are more likely to be directly affected by the development in the Tugwi Mukosi development zone. Most of these households will be displaced,” reads part of the draft plan.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa however told TellZim News that displacement was the last resort as the government would want to reorganize the affected families in their communities.
“The main thrust of the government is on reorganization or rearrangement for affected families. Displacement would be a last resort. Government has a clear policy on the relocation of people affected by government programmes,” said Dr Pazvakavambwa.
The Tugwi Mukosi Master Plan lays the foundation for infrastructural, agricultural, tourism and urban development around the dam, which was commissioned in 2017. Government has long touted the area as a future economic hub for the southern region.
The memory of the previous displacements in 2014 remain fresh for many in the region. Then, families were hurriedly evacuated as dam waters rose, and many of them still struggle with inadequate infrastructure and limited access to services in their resettlement areas including access to education.
The master plan includes proposals for irrigation schemes, tourism lodges, fishery projects, urban housing development, and road upgrades, all aimed at turning the dam’s catchment into a multi-use economic zone.

By Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo City Council has issued yet another deadline for Cambria Farm to begin operations, following a series of delays and a premature commissioning. The latest target for the landfill to become operational is November 2025.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Town House on May 8, 2025, Masvingo Mayor Alec Tabe said the local authority will continue using the old Runyararo West dumpsite until they procure a new compactor for Cambria Landfill.
“Our dumpsite in Runyararo West suburb is in a deplorable state, and we are in the process of procuring a compactor for use at the Cambria Landfill. In the interim, we are covering and compacting waste at the dumpsite using a dozer every three months.
“However, we continue to face fierce fires, caused both by scavengers searching for recyclable materials and by natural gases released from decomposing waste. Our Fire Brigade remains on high alert to contain these fires. We expect to relocate to the Cambria Landfill by November 2025,” said Tabe.
Construction of the Cambria Landfill, located several kilometers outside the city, began a few years ago and was expected to provide a long-term solution to Masvingo’s solid waste management challenges.
The project was launched to replace the overburdened and environmentally hazardous Runyararo West dumpsite, which has long been criticized for posing health risks to nearby residents due to open burning, poor waste segregation, and lack of proper waste treatment.
Despite multiple announcements that the landfill was ready, the site has remained inactive due to incomplete infrastructure and delays in procuring essential equipment, including compactors and fencing. The facility was ‘commissioned’ in 2023 by vice President Kembo Mohadi, but operations failed to commence, raising concerns over project mismanagement and resource allocation.
Residents and environmental groups expressed frustration over the delays, citing the continued environmental degradation and health hazards posed by the current dumpsite.
Councilors on the other hand have raised concern too over the use of the Runyararo West dumpsite even in full council meetings.
Ward 2 councilor Benson Hwata has been on record for prompting councilors and management to spend a night at the old dumpsite for them to get an idea of the situation on the ground that residents were going through at the dumpsite.
Other councilors suggested that council fence the dumpsite to bar scavengers from accessing the dumpsite.. This however does not entirely solve the situation as residents will still be exposed o other health hazards from flies and unpleasant smells surrounding the area.
The compactor that has stalled progress at the dumpsite costs around US$700 000 and council was quoted saying they were not in a capacity to part with such an amount during a full council meeting last year.
Former mayor, Shantiel Chiwara got under fire by locals during her short stint in office after misinforming residents that council was no longer using the old dumpsite when council was in fact still using it.