President Mnangagwa has issued a November 30 deadline for the completion of the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam master plan, with the dam expected to be one of the major drivers of socio-economic growth in Masvingo over the next decade.

The Second Republic is pursuing irrigation development through harnessing available water bodies for Zimbabwe to achieve food self sufficiency in line with Vision 2030.

The Government has renewed its push for the implementation of anchor projects at the country’s largest inland water body, Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in southern Masvingo to ensure the nation accrues economic benefits from it.

This comes as it emerged last week that the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan will be incorporated into what is known as the Integrated Master Plan for the Lowveld which covers irrigation development using Lake Mutirikwi water and the yet-to-be-constructed Runde-Tende Dam in southern Chivi.

The integrated plan will encompass irrigation of over 70 000hectares on an area extending from eastern parts of Masvingo district to southern parts of Mwenezi and Chiredzi using water from the three dams.

This also comes on the back of the upward revision by Government of Tugwi-Mukosi’s irrigation potential from the original 25 000ha to 40 000ha in light of advances in new irrigation technology and fresh technical studies.

The proposed Runde-Tende will irrigate around 30 000ha in Mwenezi and Matibi 2 while Lake Mutirikwi will irrigate more than 3 000ha on a belt, stretching from Masvingo City eastwards along Mutare road,that will be dubbed “Masvingo greenbelt.”

Chair of the Inter-ministerial Committee on the Tugwi-Mukosi Master Plan Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka,speaking on the sidelines of the tour of the dam by his committee last Friday, said Government was now putting the required impetus for the project to benefit the nation.

Dr Masuka, who is the Agriculture, Lands, Water and Rural Resettlement minister,headlined a cast of nine Cabinet ministers with boots on the ground at the dam to jump start serious developments as the November 30 deadline draws close.

He disclosed that Zimbabwe had lost a fortune in terms of opportunities at Tugwi-Mukosi over the last three years in the aftermath of the dam’s commissioning.

“We are excited that this long overdue project is finally getting the necessary impetus and guidance it requires right from the President who has given us the deadline of November 30 this year to come up with a workable, practical master plan,” said Dr Masuka.

“I chair the Interministerial committee on the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan and we are here with nine ministers to see progress on the ground and more importantly to give direction to the working party led by the Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya.”

Dr Masuka said considerable ground has already been covered in the drawing up of the irrigation side of the integrated master plan for the Lowveld.

He pointed out that the spatial and physical plan would continue to be finalised even after the November 30 deadline.

The consultant working on the Tugwi-Mukosi irrigation master plan was now also working on the bigger integrated master plan for the Lowveld due for completion end of next month.

“We have also revised the irrigable land using water from Tugwi-Mukosi from the initial 25 000ha to 40 000ha thanks to technical assessments that were made and advances in irrigation technology.

“We are looking at over 70 000ha more that will be irrigated in the Lowveld using water from Lake Mutirikwi, Tugwi-Mukosi and Runde-Tende that is still to be constructed and the consultant looked at all that in the intergrated master plan for the Lowveld,” said Dr Masuka.

Creation of the Masvingo greenbelt using Lake Mutirikwi’s water had been enabled by the coming on board of Tugwi-Mukosi which was now supplying the bulk of water to irrigate Lowveld cane fields freeing additional water for irrigation development in the former.

As such, while Lake Mutirikwi will supply water to Masvingo City, a greenbelt straddling 3150ha will be developed east of the country’s oldest town boosting food security and empowering communities.

Dr Masuka revealed that his committee will convene weekly meetings to gauge progress on creating the master plan and meet the deadline set by President Mnangagwa.

Investors have already been identified,with an interest to develop greenbelt in southern parts of Chivi, Mwenezi and Chiredzi using Tugwi-Mukosi water.

“We have investors on the ground who are very excited and we lost three summer seasons which cost us a fortune as a nation through foregone opportunities here at Tugwi-Mukosi.

“We are very excited that at Government’s approach now which looks at things holistically and in pursuit of Vision 2030 we will make sure that communities along the water conveyancing path to irrigating fields will also be benefit as part of empowerment,” said Dr Masuka.

Also discussed during the tour by the committee was progress on building the dry harbour, erection of navigation masts, setting up of recreational facilities and also toying with the idea of a Campfire model for communities around Tugwi-Mukosi to benefit from fishing and also a game park planned in the dam’s buffer zone.

Tugwi-Mukosi is Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body with a full capacity of one billion cubic meters.

The dam was commissioned in May 2017 and cost US$270millon all of which came from Government’s purse during 18-year construction period.