The 39 000 megalitre Mundi-Mataga Dam (centre) has been a centre of conflict in Mberengwa District in the Midlands Province. Mrs Lorraine Moyo (left) prepares her plot with husband Daniel Mutombeni while brothers Jeremiah and Largay Dziva plant an early maize seed (right) at Biri 2 Extension Irrigation Scheme

Sydney Kawadza Senior Features Writer
Tucked deep inside the Midlands is the dry and thirsty Mberengwa district. The district is so desiccated that farmers, relying mainly on subsistence farming, can barely grow crops enough for sustained food security even at household level. The farmers can hardly harvest enough to see them through to the next

agricultural season.

Government intervened with the construction of the 39 000-megalitre Mundi-Mataga Dam. An oasis in the arid region, the Mundi-Mataga Dam, was commissioned in 2004 leading to the establishment of the Biri Irrigation Scheme.

The irrigation scheme, with its year round agricultural activities, provided for the much needed food. Downstream, villagers established gardens while livestock had an all-year supply of clean water.

The water also whetted the appetite of the thirsty community at Mataga Business Centre and Musume Mission.

However, access to the water degenerated into a long-drawn-out conflict pitting Mberengwa Rural District Council and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).

The conflict, easily equated to what was expounded by political scientist and communication theorist Harold D. Lasswell of who gets what, when and how.

The villagers needed water, which ZINWA, as the water authority, decided to sell and subsequently cut off the villagers.

The Mberengwa Rural District Council tried to intervene leading to a standoff that affected villagers.

Lasswell’s theory explained politics but access to water from the Mundi-Mataga Dam is beyond theoretical politics.

The Biri Extension 2 Irrigation Scheme farmers had their water supplies cut off for a solid three years. Villagers downstream including the Musume Mission bore the brunt due to the impasse.

Communities affected include Mataga, Nyamhondo, Musume, Makuwerere, Chingoma A and B of the Mberengwa South Constituency. The Mberengwa RDC, consequently, approached the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation (CCMT), who came up with an intervention plan to address the stalemate.

According to documented evidence, the conflict began in 2012 when the communities had no access to water during the dry season.

“This conflict was a result of the unresponsiveness by ZINWA to the request to release water for downstream users.

“The conflict resulted in the local hospital, Musume Mission, struggling to operate, destruction of nutrition gardens used by people suffering from HIV, community members using unclean sources of water, livestock struggling to survive and (creating) a strained relationship between the Mberengwa Rural District Council and ZINWA.”

In its intervention processes, the CCMT spearheaded consultations with community leaders and their people, ZINWA and various Government departments.

It set up a dialogue platform for a solution to the stand-off while building relationships among stakeholders.

It emerged that the villagers claimed perpetual rights to access to water from the dam and river.

The villagers argued that before the dam construction, the river flowed perennially giving them access to water throughout the year.

“The reluctance by Zinwa to release water stirred up a lot of emotions on the part of the community members who felt they were being denied their water rights and this was unjustified.”

The documents indicate that villagers argued that when the dam burst its wall in 2000, it washed out sand and clay into the river channel filling up small ponds that held water during the rainy season.

“As a result the river was no longer able to hold water during the dry season.”

It turned our villagers were not aware of how they can have water released from the dam. The district administrator’s office and council officials also blamed poor communication for causing the conflict.

“The failure by ZINWA to attend council meetings made it difficult for effective interaction that allows an appreciation of community concerns . . . (and) was detrimental to effective service delivery and development in general.”

Zinwa, however, reportedly argued that the conflict was due to lack of understanding of the water permit and agreement systems.

“Zinwa pointed out that contrary to the belief by community members and institutions that they do not need permits to access water as provided for in the Water Act of 1976 . . . replaced by the Water Act of 1998, which states permits as a requirement.

“Permits allow ZINWA to effectively manage water systems particularly given the rainfall patterns in the country, which has short wet seasons and a long dry season.”

ZINWA further argued that the system serves to protect interests of permit holders, particularly, when water is scarce.

The water authorities said reluctance by Musume Mission to abide by the law was contributing to the conflict.

“In terms of the Water Act, ZINWA was expected to raise funds through selling water to communities and institutions or organisations classified as non-commercial or commercial customers.”

ZINWA argued that Musume Mission fell in commercial customer’s category and are expected to pay commercial rates to access water.

Musume Mission, according to available documents, however, argued the hospital provided a service to the community and should have free access to water.

It was subsequently agreed, through the dialogue facilitated by the CCMT, that poor communication, lack of knowledge on the Water Act and ZINWAs operations and how villages requested for water caused the conflict.

Meanwhile, farmers at the Biri Extension Irrigation Scheme applauded the results of the dialogue process that has seen them resume their farming.

The scheme’s chairperson, Mrs Dorcas Nyoni Masenda, said more than 250 members were back on the land.

“Farmers were benefiting from the irrigation scheme until we discovered that ZINWA was overcharging us leading to the impasse that saw us having our water supplies cut off. We ended up accumulating a debt of around US$165 000 but after the meetings we had our debt successfully cancelled and we also agreed to pay US$1 000 a month for the water we receive from the dam,” she said.

She, however, told a follow-up meeting held at Mataga Business Centre recently that they had an agreement with ZINWA to pay a third of a year’s water payments to receive water.

“We are currently preparing about 63 hectares of maize after being re-connected to the water supplies,” she said.

Mr Godwill Siringwani, who represented Musume Mission, said the standoff continued to prejudice operations at the hospital.

“We are still not receiving water from the dam and this has affected operations at the hospital. There is need to find a solution to the situation otherwise the hospital is being compromised,” he said.

Councillor Peter Mashoko who gave a report back for the Mundi-Mataga Taskforce reported to the meeting that villagers downstream were in dire need of water supplies.

“There is need to release water from the dam as the river is virtually dry downstream creating a health hazard while livestock have suffered from failure to access water. The villagers are waiting anxiously communication on when ZINWA would release water from the dam,” Clr Mashoko said.

The meeting, however, agreed that there is need for the crafting of terms of agreement between stakeholders for a binding accord on how water is released from the dam. Mberengwa RDC chief executive Mr Julius Mushavakure said dialogue was critical in conflict situations.

“ZINWA was not compromising and cut off farmers and the people downstream at a crucial stage. Some farmers had their crops destroyed while people’s livestock and gardens have no water.

“It is, however, critical to talk and listen to each other because without dialogue, nobody wins and everyone becomes a loser.”

He said water was critical for the development of the district hence the conflict is detrimental to our developmental goals.

CCMT director Mrs Stembile Mpofu said dialogue was critical in bringing communities together to engage on key developmental issues.

“Dialogue allows communities to explore and critique situations that affect development in their localities. The uniqueness of dialogue lies in the fact that it allows for constructive engagement, builds relationships and explores situations as a way of developing solutions to problems,” she said.

Mrs Mpofu said communities faced various challenges that affect community development hence dialogue allows different stakeholders to interrogate conflict situations and develop strategies to address these challenges.

Established in 2002, the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation is a Zimbabwean non-governmental organisation working in the field of peace and conflict transformation. CCMT has a vision of a Zimbabwe that enjoys peace and harmony created through co-operation and sustainable conflict management and transformation in society.

It sees its mission as helping to build a culture of non-violence and peaceful resolution of all forms of conflict in Zimbabwe and the SADC region by enhancing the capacity of individuals, organisations and communities to effectively manage and transform their conflicts.

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