George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Senator Josaya Hungwe has expressed dismay over delays in tapping water for irrigation to produce food and cash crops from Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in Chivi South.

The dam has been lying idle for close to a year after its commissioning.

Built by Government for almost $300 million, the giant reservoir was touted as a panacea to recurrent drought-induced food woes in Masvingo, but Senator Hungwe said he was unhappy over lack of progress to start irrigation projects.

Sen Hungwe on Wednesday challenged Government to move with speed and make sure the 1,8 billion cubic metres dam started being harnessed for irrigation in the drought-prone parts of southern Masvingo.

He said Government should have done some forward planning on how the reservoir was to be exploited for irrigation purposes before its completion.

“It’s almost a year now after Tugwi-Mukosi was commissioned and we are very unhappy that nothing has taken off the ground yet in terms of irrigation development so that the dam benefits the people in arid Chivi and other parts of the province,’’ said Sen Hungwe.

“We need to hit the ground running because the people of Chivi and others that were displaced by the dam expect to benefit from its water to grow food.

“Areas downstream of Tugwi-Mukosi fall under natural Region 5, which receives very little rain and they expected that the coming of Tugwi-Mukosi would end the scourge of hunger.”

Sen Hungwe said development of irrigation using Tugwi-Mukosi water was taking too long, particularly for more than 3 000 displaced families at Chingwizi, who expected to venture into commercial cash crops production using the dam’s water.

He decried delays by Government to craft the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan that would give direction on how the dam’s water would be exploited for irrigation.

He proposed the roping in of a private consultant to spearhead the crafting of the master plan and courting of investors for Tugwi-Mukosi to start accruing socio-economic benefits to the nation.

“The question that we have is, where is the master plan? We need to have the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan now so that things can move,” said Sen Hungwe.

“Why not even look for a consultant to make things move? Our people on the ground cannot continue to suffer from droughts and food shortages, yet there is under-utilised water that can be used for irrigation.”

Water in the dam has been channelled to irrigate sugarcane plantations at Hippo Valley and Triangle estates in the Lowveld.

Most major dams in Masvingo supply the bulk of their water to irrigate the Lowveld sugarcane plantations.

Sen Hungwe said there was need for Government to convene an investor’s conference to market opportunities that at exist at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.

Chivi Rural District Council chief executive Mr Tariro Matavire said his council and Masvingo Rural District Council, who share the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, had since abandoned plans to raise $300 000 to craft the dam’s local management plan after the reservoir was granted national project status.

Besides having potential to irrigate more than 25 000 hectares and turning arid parts of southern Masvingo into a perennial greenbelt, Tugwi-Mukosi can be a major tourist attraction and home to hotels and casinos that can sustain a vibrant tourism industry.

The dam could also sustain a 15 megawatt mini-hydro power plant and a lucrative fisheries industry.