Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
FROM winning a tractor after delivering over 79 tonnes of wheat to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), to sending her children through to college and maintaining a comfortable life deep inside dry and thirsty Mberengwa District – Mrs Rindai Zhou is one of the many success stories of land reform in Zimbabwe.

Mrs Zhou, popularly known as Mrs Muzeziwa, in her circles is one of 265 farmers operating at the Biri Extension Irrigation Scheme which is at Mataga Growth Point in Mberengwa District.

Mrs Zhou, a mother of eight children and a proud grandmother of six, said she no longer looks to Government for free agricultural inputs as she has grown over the years to become self-sufficient.

She said if anyone speaks ill of the successes of the land reform, she boils with anger because she is a living testimony of how correct use of the land positively changes livelihoods.

Chronicle met Mrs Zhou at Biri Extension Irrigation Scheme.

It’s a Thursday afternoon and she is sitting with fellow farmers who make use of the irrigation scheme as they wait for buyers for their products.

On display are green mealies, beans, tomatoes and all kinds of fresh produce.

The rest of Mberengwa District is so dry that farmers, relying mainly on subsistence farming, can barely grow enough for sustained food security even at household level. The farmers can hardly harvest enough to see them through to the next agricultural season.

However, 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 Extension Irrigation Scheme.

The irrigation scheme, with its year- round agricultural activities, provided much-needed food with villagers establishing gardens while humans and livestock have an all-year supply of clean water.

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

In an interview, a bubbling and excited Mrs Zhou said she started farming at the irrigation scheme in 2005 and 15 years down the line, she still enjoys her passion and will only rest when she is sick or when she is taken from the land of the living one day.

“I have eight children and six grandchildren now, but when I started farming I had nothing but now I don’t even look to the Government for free farming inputs. No, I’m now self-sustained to the extent that I even employ about 10 villagers to assist me with my farming,” she said.

Mrs Zhou commended Government for the land reform which she said saw previously marginalised Zimbabweans having access to the land.

She said serious farmers should embrace the development and assist the Government through crop production to feed the nation.

“Anyone downgrading or talking ill of the land reform and farming is my enemy. My slogan is pamberi neivhu. Remember I won a tractor through farming. If Zimbabwe was a cake, I would proudly say that I have eaten my piece of cake,” said Mrs Zhou.

She said back in 2005, she delivered 79 tonnes of wheat to GMB and was called by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) who gave her a tractor in recognition of her good works as a serious woman farmer.

“In 2005, I delivered 79 tonnes of wheat to GMB and I was surprised to receive a phone call from RBZ saying that they were recognising my efforts and for that they were giving me a tractor. Since that year I have been eating my piece of cake from land. My children went to college, I have a good life,” said Mrs Zhou.

Unfortunately for Mrs Zhou and the rest of the farmers, access to the water degenerated into a long-drawn-out conflict pitting Mberengwa Rural District Council and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).

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.

The Biri Extension 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.

It took the intervention of the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation (CCMT), a Zimbabwean non-governmental organisation, who came up with an intervention plan to address the stalemate.

Mrs Zhou and her fellow farmers at the Biri Extension Irrigation Scheme applauded the results of the dialogue process that saw them resume their farming.

“We were severely affected by the conflict that was there between Zinwa and the RDC. For three years we could not produce but we are grateful that we now have our water and we are back in serious farming,” she said.

Another farmer, Mrs Linnet Chirima, also shared some success stories from farming at the irrigation scheme.

She said what is needed is continued engagement with Zinwa so that they are always on the same path to avoid conflicts which are always catastrophic, especially to them as farmers.

“This irrigation scheme has been good to us as a whole group. We are 265 and we have families and extended families we look after. We are able to pay Zinwa water bills on time and it is happening for us. We wish for this to continue so that we are always doing what we love best which is farming,” said Mrs Chirima.

Mberengwa RDC Council planning officer Mr Percy Mwedzi said the missing link was the establishment of factories to process the fresh produce from the irrigation scheme to add value.

He said while they appreciate the good work done by the farmers, there was a need for investment into for example a tomato canning plant so that the farmers maximise on the real value of the produce.

“The farmers are doing well I tell you. They can sustain their livelihoods, can provide themselves food, send children to school, pay bills but as RDC we are looking more at having factories to add value to these fresh products,” said Mr Mwedzi.

He said the establishment of fresh produce factories or plants will also add to the GDP of the district and create more jobs for downstream industries.

Mrs Zhou (right) with other farmers at Biri Extension Irrigation Scheme.

CCMT programmes officer Mr Xavier Mudangwe said his organisation is engaged in efforts to bring harmony among members of irrigation schemes.

He said irrigation schemes are avenues to bring about food security, broaden incomes and help communities mitigate the effects of climate change.

Mr Mudangwe said Governance of Small Holder Irrigation Schemes (SHIS) is one of the key factors that determine the functionality and productivity of irrigation schemes (ISs).

“The majority of SHISs across Zimbabwe are managed by Irrigation Management Committees (IMCs), whose primary function is to oversee the day to day running of the ISs. IMCs are expected to provide a sense of direction by continuously steering ISs towards achieving their vision and set goals. Although, governance model has worked for some ISs, it has not worked for the majority of ISs as demonstrated by their failure in their objective to improve food security and alleviate poverty, as the schemes have either failed to meet the expected productivity levels or in some cases have failed to function at all,” he said.

Mr Mudangwe said the fact that ISs bring together people from different backgrounds with different needs and interests, creates fertile grounds for conflict as everyone fights to protect their needs and interests.

He said IS governance challenges include training of IMCs in leadership and conflict transformation with the view to equip IMCs with the necessary knowledge and skills that will enable them to provide sound and effective leadership to the ISs.

“There is need to provide training of IMCs in financial management, constitution development, setting up of governance structures, systems and procedures and reviewing of the Irrigation Scheme policy. IS governance is one of the major determinants of the success or failure of an IS. The IS governance model requires a lot of fostering in terms of organisation development given that IMC membership is not based on qualifications and is made up of people from diverse backgrounds, as such it makes it vulnerable to conflicts and in consequence affects functionality and productivity,” said Mr Mudangwe.

He said ISs like Insukamini Irrigation Scheme in Lower Gweru which are supported by CCMT in setting up governance structures, systems and procedures have excelled in IS competitions conducted by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural resettlement in 2018 and 2019 proving the importance of IS governance in the functionality of ISs.

He said if SHISs are empowered and are able to exercise authority on their affairs and if they are supported in terms of organisation development, this enhances their management and improves productivity.