Plans to fully exploit Tugwi-Mukosi intensify

Government is intensifying efforts to ensure the giant Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in southern Masvingo is fully exploited for the country’s economic benefit, amid indications that plans are now at an advanced stage to gazette the project’s combination authority that will spearhead crafting of the reservoir’s master plan.

The master plan will determine various land-use patterns within the immediate precincts of the dam, which is Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body with a capacity of 1,8 billion cubic metres.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo is expected to gazette the combination authority for the dam soon, paving the way for work on the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan.

The combination authority will superintend over and plan all developments around the dam, and comprises representatives from Masvingo and Chivi districts which share the dam.

Other players to have a seat in the planned authority include line ministries with an interest in the dam such as Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement; and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

Masvingo provincial administrator Mr Fungai Mbetsa yesterday said the dam’s combination authority will be a giant leap towards coming up with the dam’s master plan.

“We are expecting the Minister of Local Government (Cde Moyo) to gazette the Tugwi-Mukosi combination authority any time from now and that move will give legal impetus to the thrust to craft the dam’s master plan that will in essence determine various land uses within the dam’s immediate vicinity,” said Mr Mbetsa.

“We expect work on the master plan to move with speed once the combination authority has been gazetted because some of the plans are already there, so it will really be a question of joining the different plans together to come up with the main master plan.’’

Mr Mbetsa said the Department of Physical Planning recently held consultations with various stakeholders with an interest at Tugwi-Mukosi, including both provincial and local authorities, ahead of the gazetting of the combination authority.

The Infrastructural Development Bank of Zimbabwe awarded a South African firm the contract to draw the dam’s irrigation master plan and the work is still pending.

Government recently set the ball rolling for investment at the dam by splurging US$7 million on the dam’s link road, off the Ngundu-Chiredzi Highway, while plans are also in motion to upgrade the road to the dam’s harbour with funding from Zimbabwe National Road Administration (zinara).