By Staff Reporter
MASVINGO – Zanu PF Secretary General and Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda
has expressed concern over the lack of progress in utilising Tugwi Mukosi, the country’s largest
inland water body.
Mudenda was speaking at a Zanu PF Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held at
Great Zimbabwe University’s R.G. Mugabe School of Education when he challenged the party’s
provincial leadership to take an active role in overseeing government programmes.
“How many years are there after the completion of the dam? There is water and there is land
there; a lot of development can be done there. We should see a number of projects we can have
fishing projects, irrigation, and other tourist attractions and resorts,” said Mudenda
He said it was the party provincial leadership to monitor progress there and government
departments should report to the party on the progress. He however challenged them to go there
and see what was
“You as the party leadership, have you sat down with the minister of state to tell you if there is
any irrigation taking place there? Do you know what is happening there? You don’t, because you
have never been there. You have to go and see for yourself as PCC,” said Mudenda.
Mudenda said the President could not be everywhere, and it was the duty of the provincial
executive to ensure that they work towards fulfilling the President’s vision.
“The President cannot be everywhere. The President finished his job; we now have the dam, and
it is now your duty to make sure that there is progress. The party is supreme over the
government, so the minister has to report to you every three months,” said Mudenda.
He urged the leadership to empower themselves rather than merely boasting about holding party
positions without tangible achievements to show for them.
“You need to be empowered. Do you have plots at Tugwi Mukosi, and don’t you want them?
Have you lined up your people who will benefit from the plots? Who stopped you? With the
potential of development there, we could have a good road, an aerodrome for tourist to use when
they come to play in the water then we get money.
You should be empowered. You cannot talk of eradicating poverty when you are carrying
poverty on your backs. You can’t just be boasting that you hold such a position in the party when
you have nothing to show for it,” said Mudenda.
Mudenda challenged the provincial leadership to take responsibility for monitoring and
recommending development initiatives.
The meeting was attended by other Zanu PF heavyweights including national commissariat
secretary Munyaradzi Machacha, secretary for legal affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi, secretary for security Lovemore Matuke, and party treasurer general Patrick Chinamasa.
