George Maponga in Masvingo
Government has started making concrete moves to exploit water from the giant Tokwe-Mukosi Dam to boost food security, with an initial 2 000 hectares set to be developed for irrigation in Masvingo and Chivi districts. Clearing of the land that will be turned into irrigation plots in Chivi and Masvingo is expected to start within the next two months, as Government moves to ensure that the country starts to benefit from the country’s largest inland dam.

Tokwe-Mukosi has potential to irrigate more than 25 000 hectares and transform southern parts of Masvingo into a perennial greenbelt.

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Davis Marapira said Government will next month start developing 1 000ha apiece in Masvingo and Chivi districts for irrigation using Tokwe-Mukosi water.

He said the irrigation project was being spearheaded by his ministry. “Our team of irrigation experts have already identified about 2000ha that will be put under irrigation upstream of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam and work is expected to start by next month,” said Deputy Minister Marapira.

“We will develop 1 000ha of land for irrigation apiece in Chivi and Masvingo districts which share Tokwe-Mukosi Dam.”

Deputy Minister Marapira said Government was planning to install latest irrigation technology after realising that Tokwe-Mukosi could not remain idle while the country was plagued by droughts due to the effects of climate change.

“We will soon be moving land clearing equipment from the Department of Irrigation Development to Tokwe-Mukosi and by next month there will be something on the ground,” he said.

“We have identified vast tracts of land that will be cleared and turned into irrigable plots.” Deputy Minister Marapira said the criteria to choose beneficiaries to occupy the developed irrigation plots have not yet been worked out.

“At the moment we are seized with development of irrigation at Tokwe-Mukosi and the relevant authorities will decide who will benefit, but obviously communities around Tokwe-Mukosi Dam in both Masvingo and Chivi districts will be considered,” he said.

He said Zimbabwe would soon take delivery of latest irrigation equipment some of which will be installed at Tokwe-Mukosi though he refused to disclose where the equipment was coming from.

“Our major task as Government at the moment is to make sure Tokwe-Mukosi Dam water is not idle, but is used to ensure the nation has enough food and also produces cash crops for exports under irrigation,” said Deputy Minister Marapira.