…Dams yet to benefit locals, nation
…Tende-Runde Dam construction takes decades to kick off
Brighton Chiseva
After years of waiting for Tugwi Mukosi and Tende Runde water projects to start benefitting locals and the nation at large, two government ministers recently shocked villagers by telling them government already have plans to export excess raw water to South Africa’s Limpopo province.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira and former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Davis Marapira made the claims at Nyuni Primary School in Chingwizi, Mwenezi East during a food aid scheme launch by the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare.
Chadzamira said government had plans of constructing the Tende-Runde dam which is bigger than Tugwi Mukosi and its water would be used for irrigation purposes that will benefit the people of Mwenezi mainly with the excess water will be exported to South Africa’s Limpopo province.
“With the NDS1, the government is constructing another dam which is bigger than Tugwi Mukosi which will be used for irrigation and we will see some of the water (exported) to South Africa where we will get money because it will be excessive and you will benefit from that. Each household will have its irrigation plots and currently there are people doing feasibility studies in the area,”said Chadzamira.
Marapira echoed the same sentiments and said Masvingo had most of the country’s water and the ministry’s real work was in Masvingo.
“Masvingo has the country’s water bodies and my ministry’s work is here. Starting next week I will be here looking and establishing areas suitable for irrigation. We no longer do what we used to do when we construct dams like Tugwi Mukosi where we spend more than five years without setting up an irrigation scheme.
“Runde Tende as you heard by the minister, will irrigate 50 thousand hectares and before we finish construction, all systems and plans will be in place. We will be selling all the excess water to Limpopo in South Africa
“So in the next two years Chingwizi will be self-sufficient and will no longer beg, you will be supplying others with food and money,” said Marapira.
The claims come years after promises of a Tugwi Mukosi masterplan completion which will enable locals to benefit from the vast water source but is yet to come into fruition.
Tugwi Mukosi dam, which is the country’s largest inland dam was completed in 2014, but to date the master plan which was confirmed to have been completed is yet to be implemented.
Tende-Runde dam which was also planned way before Tugwi Mukosi is yet to be constructed, raising questions on how it will eventually have the capacity to export water to South Africa if it has remained a white elephant for so long.
