The Sunday News
Mashudu Netsianda in Binga
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has announced that his Government is working on remodelling Bulawayo Irrigation Scheme, a massive irrigation project in Binga District and will commission it in April.
He will also handover fishing rigs to local chiefs, women and youth groups as part of efforts to economically empower local communities whose livelihoods revolve around fisheries. So far, a total of 31 fishing rigs are complete and ready for distribution during the handover ceremony next month.
A total of 250 hectares were cleared at Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme and already tilled at the scheme which is set to be 15 000ha once the whole fenced area is cleared. Government put Arda in charge of Bulawayo Kraal taking over from the Department of Irrigation which had been managing the project over the years.
Pipe bursts have over the years derailed efforts to fully implement the project which at one stage employed close to 200 people.
Arda has since awarded a tender to re-do some piping works and work is underway to repair and redirect pipes, which includes installing a new pumping and piping system drawing water from the nearby Zambezi River to the site.
There will be a new engine and an overnight storage dam and a pump engine with a capacity to pump 315 cubic metres of water per hour has been installed. The current pipeline is 10km long. In total, there are seven centre pivots on site although only three were being used.
The New Dispensation led by President Mnangagwa committed itself to the implementation of the scheme as it prioritises the revival of the agricultural sector through the development of irrigation schemes to alleviate food insecurity and poverty particularly in rural communities. Addressing a star rally at Siabuwa Business Centre in Binga yesterday, President Mnangagwa said remodelling the irrigation scheme will transform the lives of locals and alleviate starvation.
“We have Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme which we are modelling after realising that things were not done properly by the engineers.
“We are now remodelling the irrigation scheme so that we revive it and we have bought new equipment and pivots.
“We will soon visit the scheme together with engineers because we want locals to have a source of grain here in Binga. You must grow your own food.”
The President said under the Second Republic and Zanu-PF Government no one would die of hunger.
“We have constructed many dams to irrigate and we are now in our third year of self-sufficiency food security in the country.
“We want to guarantee you that under the Second Republic no one will die of hunger. Every family must contribute to food security and we should not sit on our laurels.
We must contribute in our small way to the generality of food security in our country. God has given us resources. We have sanctions imposed on us by Western countries because we redistributed our land. Land will not be reversed and it is now our inheritance forever and ever,” he said.
The President said Government has also introduced a programme which will see all 35 000 villages in the country having a solar powered borehole with clean water.
“We have acquired 40 new drilling rigs and this is the first batch and another 40 will come. We will also construct small market places in this district and again through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and Minister Sithembiso Nyoni’s ministry, we shall look at the programme, finance it so that these markets, which local chiefs have asked are constructed.
“We have a Presidential Fisheries programme which require youths and women to form groups. Last year, we commercialised Lupane-Bubi Irrigation Scheme and in the first round of the summer crop each household received $265 000 within six months from the project.”
The President said despite sanctions Government will continue to develop the country using its own resources.
“In the mining sector we were raking in US$2,8 billion per year and last year we were now at US$6,8 billion and next year it will US$12 billion.
“Every chief, youths and women groups will get a fishing rig, Nyika imwe neimwe inovakwa nevene vayo. Here in Binga from east to west there has been underdevelopment and we are addressing that.”
