Chivi — COMMUNITIES in southern Masvingo have welcomed the approval of the long-awaited Tugwi-Mukosi Combination Master Plan that is set to pave way for the development of various projects at the dam and surrounding areas, particularly in the spheres of agriculture and tourism.
The Combination Master Plan will guide and regulate developments around Zimbabwe's largest inland water body that was commissioned in 2017.
Tugwi-Mukosi has potential to irrigate over 40 000 hectares in both Chivi and Masvingo districts that are bisected by the reservoir and also huge tracts of land in the Lowveld.
The US$250 million water body had largely remained underutilised with delays in crafting the master plan stalling its full utilisation which is in sync with Government's thrust to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy by 2030.
The water body is central to the Second Republic's plans to develop a vast greenbelt straddling nearly 200 000ha in a move that will make Zimbabwe food secure and a net exporter while the anticipated opening of agro-processing firms will create a conurbation stretching from Chiredzi to Rutenga Town.
Cabinet recently approved the long-awaited development master plan for Tugwi-Mukosi Dam and surrounding areas.
The Combination Master plan was drawn up by a consortium of local universities and it seeks to guide and regulate development around the dam. It will be administered by the Tugwi-Mukosi Combination Master Plan Authority.
The plan incorporates, among other things, harbours, holiday homes, golf courses, nature and game viewing and irrigation schemes.
In an address after a Cabinet meeting mid this month, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, said the dam presented an assortment of opportunities for development, particularly agriculture.
"Noting that the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam and its environs present excellent opportunities for accelerated agricultural and irrigation development, Cabinet agreed that three new irrigation schemes measuring 3 852ha will be established, with the Banga Irrigation Scheme being expanded from 64ha to 195ha. Tugwi-Mukosi Dam alone has the potential to irrigate about 40 000ha of land in the country's Lowveld," she said.
"An implementation agency will soon be established to co-ordinate development across socio-economic sectors. Amenities such a0s schools, health centres, business nodes, heritage sites, museums, hotels, lodges and training institutes will be developed over an area spanning two rural district councils and extending upstream and downstream of the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam. Other developments will incorporate harbours, holiday homes, golf courses, nature and game viewing.
"A recreation park and conservation areas will be developed, while a fish processing plant will be established near Tugwi-Mukosi. There will be a harbour and light house control tower, while a power generation plant on the dam will provide communities and businesses with clean energy and drive irrigation projects in support of household and national food security."
Banga irrigation scheme in Madzivire communal lands that measures 62ha, will be expanded to 195ha as envisaged under the dam's master plan.
The scheme presently covers wards 25, 26 and 28 of Chivi.
Secretary for the irrigation scheme, Mr Panganai Togara, told The Herald at the fledgling scheme that approval of the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan was a welcome development.
"It's a welcome development that communities in Chivi will start to accrue benefits from Tugwi-Mukosi now that the master plan has been approved and our hope is that Banga scheme will be expanded to bringing more beneficiaries to add onto the current 285 families who each own a 0,3ha plot," said Mr Togara.
"Banga was established in 1972 and draws water from Banga River but with more water coming from Tugwi-Mukosi it means the size of this scheme can be more than doubled to benefit more people and ensure food security."
Mrs Memory Moyo of Ruvengo Village in Madzivire said she was upbeat about irrigation opportunities from Tugwi-Mukosi.
"All the plots at Banga were taken up by those who were the first to benefit and we are looking forward to the expansion of this irrigation scheme so that we can also benefit now that there is water for irrigation from Tugwi-Mukosi.
"This area (Chivi) is dry and we will change our lives by embracing irrigation," said Mrs Moyo.
Ruvengo Village head Mr Petros Chihamure says villagers in his area cannot wait for Tugwi-Mukosi water to start flowing into their area.
"We have heard that Government is planning to expand the Banga Irrigation Scheme and there is excitement here because that is long overdue and a welcome development as more people will benefit and their lives will change," said Mr Chihamure.
"Current beneficiaries at Banga have managed to change their lives by building decent homes and sending their children to school using proceeds from the irrigation scheme.
"If this scheme is expanded it means more people will benefit. Banga beneficiaries make a killing from selling things like green mealies, wheat, tomatoes and even vegetables. They also sell their grain to GMB and people around here survive on this scheme for food."
Headman Gororo, Mr Mukomba Gororo, welcomed approval of the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan but insisted that locals should benefit from the dam.
"It's a welcome development that the master plan has been approved by the Government but we also appeal to authorities to make sure that our children are not left out, our people have to get a share of all developments that will take place.
"We hear they will build hotels here but our children should be prioritised for jobs. We also want authorities to establish new irrigation schemes around the dam and expand existing ones so that the water can also benefit our people.
"Our memories are still fresh thinking about our relatives who were displaced by this dam and were relocated to Chingwizi. These people must also benefit," said Headman Gororo.
There is also concern among communities in both Chivi and Masvingo districts who are settled in the dam's buffer zone and will have to be relocated to pave way for a planned game park.
About eight wards, four each in the two neighbouring districts, share a direct border with Tugwi-Mukosi and villagers there will have to be relocated.
Preliminary estimates indicate about 2 500 families in both Masvingo and Chivi will be affected by the game park.
"While we welcome approval of the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan, we want authorities to clarify what will happen to some of us who are settled in the dam's buffer zone and will have to pave way for the game park.
"We also want to benefit from this dam built on our ancestral land," said Mr Timothy Museva, from Zunga in Chivi.
The dam's Combination Authority has already held meetings after its constitution and comprises councillors from both Chivi and Masvingo, whose areas will be affected by the dam.
Representatives from EMA, Zinwa, Zimparks and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, are also part of the Authority.
The Authority's chairperson and Chivi Ward 28 Councillor, Cde Alfred Muzonikwa, noted that while approval of the dam's master plan was a welcome development, there are still some outstanding issues that needed attention.
"There are still some issues that need clarification particularly the fate of families settled in the dam's buffer zone where a game park will be opened so that human activities are limited to avoid siltation of our dam.
"There is no clarity yet on where the affected families from eight wards in both Masvingo and Chivi will be resettled. The issue of compensation is also very critical and must be addressed," said Cllr Muzonikwa
He added that irrigation schemes should be set up in the dam's immediate environment to benefit communities around the water body.
"We don't want our people to be moved to Chingwizi, we want them to be given opportunities to get somewhere to resettle in the surrounding chiefdoms and then in return, Government opens irrigation schemes where those affected will get plots. We hope this issue will be given due consideration".
Masvingo Rural District Council chief executive Mr Martin Mubviro expressed optimism that approval of the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan would spur economic development.
"We are looking forward to rapid socioeconomic transformation in our district thanks to Tugwi-Mukosi Dam. We are hoping to develop a smart city at Gunikuni business centre which is close to the shores of Tugwi-Mukosi.
"We anticipate investment in holiday homes, hotels and other developments while agriculture through irrigation is also a major trump card of this dam," said Mr Mubviro.
He noted that his local authority was still waiting for further direction on the model of allocating land and determining its usage for areas in and around Tugwi-Mukosi.
Chivi RDC chief executive Mr Tariro Matavire was equally upbeat, noting that approval of the master plan will add impetus to plans to turn Chibi Turn-Off Business Centre into a smart city.
"We have already designated Chibi Turn-Off Business Centre as a smart city and we are working with a leading financial institution in that regard.
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"Approval of the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan by Cabinet means our work is now cut out. We also intend to ride on Tugwi-Mukosi Dam to grow Ngundu Growth Point into a town. The future looks very exciting," said Mr Matavire.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, said communities from Chivi and Masvingo districts will benefit from Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, in line with the Second Republic's drive of ensuring locals are always the biggest beneficiaries of any development in their area.
"We will make sure that communities around that dam are not left out when the cake is being shared. There will be a stake reserved for locals at Tugwi-Mukosi in all developments that will take place now that the master plan is ready," said Minister Chadzamira.
"On fears over the planned game park, final boundaries of the park have not yet been determined but when the exercise finally takes place, because we have a listening leader in President Mnangagwa, the concerns and interests of the affected communities will also be taken into account."
Tugwi-Mukosi had already started accruing benefits for communities in both Masvingo and Chivi even before approval of the master plan, with more than 20 fishing co-operatives being licensed to undertake commercial fishing at the dam, boosting household incomes for beneficiaries, mainly locals.
There are also plans to set up a dry harbour for recreational shipping to add another tourism spectacle at the dam that will be part of a tourism belt stretching from Great Zimbabwe Monuments to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park in the Lowveld.
A 17MW power station is also earmarked for Tugwi-Mukosi, widening the scale of clean energy generation in Zimbabwe.
A fish processing plant is also set to be established near the reservoir built at the confluence of Tugwi and Mukosi rivers.
Amenities such as schools, health centres, business nodes, heritage sites, museums, hotels, lodges, training institutes will be developed over an area spanning two rural district councils and extending upstream and downstream of the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, as part of developments in the area.
