The Sunday News
MR Onward Sibanda (41) walks an estimated two kilometres daily from Mpofu village to Lupane Shopping Centre, and nearby residential suburbs where he sells fresh fish.
A 20-litre bucket of fish earns him between US$25 and US$30 depending on the size of the fish.
“We have no fixed prices as some customers negotiate for lesser prices and most of the time we compromise,” he said.
Other villagers in Mpofu and Madojwa villages and surrounding areas have also embraced fishing for a living. However, one has to be licensed to fish legally, something which most locals have ignored.
The majority of villagers are into illegal fishing using makeshift boats and mosquito nets to capture huge amounts of fish.
Mr Sibanda’s wife drowned when a boat they were using capsized while crossing the Bubi-Lupane Dam on their way to Madojwa village a few years ago. Despite the sad memories, Mr Sibanda said the need to take care of his family outweighs the risks.
“At the end of the day, we have to survive hence most people are forced to engage in fish poaching,” he said.
Ms Nonsikelelo Moyo added: “I don’t even know the processes one has to undertake to obtain a permit. We play cat and mouse with authorities and the little we get keeps us going as a family though I admit the canoes we use are a risk.”
Bubi-Lupane Dam was constructed between 2009 and 2021 and has a holding capacity of 40 million cubic metres. Last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned a new water treatment plant at Bubi-Lupane Dam. The plant has a capacity of about 9 600 cubic metres per day. The President also launched a 200 hectare irrigation scheme.
Mr Tawanda Mazango, Lupane Youth Development Trust programmes coordinator said a number of fish poachers have drowned in the dam in recent years.
“As Lupane Youth for Development Trust, we recommend that all activities at the dam be strictly regulated by relevant departments. Young people must at all times be accompanied by elderly persons,” said Mr Mazango.
Lupane Dam provides water to the nearby growth point, residential suburbs and the Lupane State University (LSU). – The Citizen Bulletin.
