Chivi RDC chair rescues drought-stricken cattle

Chivi Rural District Council chairperson Councillor Godfrey Mukungunugwa has come to the rescue of nearly 5 000 drought-stricken cattle in the arid district after supplying molasses to communities for supplementary feeding.

The molasses was donated by Commercial Sugarcane Farmers’ Association of Zimbabwe chair Mr Admore Hwarare.

Besides handing over more than 10 tonnes of molasses for stock feed to about 750 villagers drawn from communities around Chivi-Turn-Off, Ngundu Growth Point and Maramba communal lands, the Chivi RDC chair also sourced 2 000 litres of molasses for each of the 32 wards in the district.

Chivi RDC also received 500 litres of molasses that will be used for road surfacing to contain dust at overcrowded centres such as Mhandamabwe business centre where hundreds of people converge daily for trading purposes.

Clr Mukungunugwa paid tribute to Mr Hwarare for his timely intervention, saying his donation will save hundreds of cattle that were under threat from drought.

“I approached Mr Hwarare after realising that thousands of cattle were facing death across Chivi because of lack of pastures after poor rains last year,” he said. “I am very grateful to Mr Hwarare for his readiness to assist Chivi communities with supplementary feeding.

“The situation was very dire and hundreds of cattle would have been lost had we failed to get supplementary feeding. We will continue to approach well-wishers and donors such as Mr Hwarare to supply us with molasses until pastures improve after the start of the rainy season.”

Clr Mukungunugwa said most roads across the arid district were emitting dust that posed a health risk to villagers hence the availing of additional molasses for road surfacing.

Molasses is often used for surfacing roads as a way of reducing emission of dust which can cause health problems particularly at overcrowded places such as open markets growth points and rural health service centres.

Clr Mukungunugwa, who was elected to represent Chivi Ward 6 in the July 30 polls, had during his campaigns, promised communities in his ward that he would source molasses for them to feed their drought-stricken cattle.

Mr Hwarare said he donated the molasses for feeding cattle in Chivi as part of his ongoing drive to plough back to his community.

Chivi is arguably the driest district in Masvingo province and annually villagers lose hundreds of cattle to drought because of lack of pastures.

Besides lack of pastures, livestock in the district also succumb to biting water shortages which is also a perennial problem owing to the district’s extreme aridity.