The ManicaPost
Mercy Ngwebvu
MEMBER of the National Assembly for Chimanimani West Engineer Munacho Mutezo has expressed disappointment over the reluctance shown by diamond companies operating at Chiadzwa to provide assistance in the resuscitation of the Nenhohwe Irrigation Scheme.
The scheme has been lying idle for decades since the inception of the resuscitation project in August last year, Government appealed to the mining companies at Chiadzwa to assist in meeting some of the costs as part of ploughing back into the community whose resources they are exploiting.
However, Eng Mutezo said none of the mining companies was forthcoming inasfar as providing machinery was concerned.
“We are not happy as politicians and Government because we did not get the support of mining companies when we needed excavators to dig the tunnels.
“The companies had a good opportunity to plough back into the community by providing machinery, but none of them agreed to do so.
“We had to use manual labour to dig the trenches, some of which go for over four kilometres and the sad part is that their excavators are parked.
“We pledged to provide the diesel for the machines, but we still did not get them. Some four to five days’ work using machines took us weeks because we were using manual labour,” said Eng Mutezo.
During a recent progress check tour of the irrigation scheme, Eng Mutezo took time to thank the Nyanyadzi community for supporting the project, adding that it was part of the Zim-Asset agenda where people should have an input in projects that they will benefit from.
Said Eng Mutezo: “I am very impressed with the progress that villagers have made so far because it shows that they are determined to see to the betterment of their lives once the project is up and running again.
“I also like to thank traditional leaders who rallied behind us, mobilising people to work with us as Government.”
He said the last fittings for the irrigation pipes had arrived, something which he described as a positive development.
“We are now in the final stages of the project because the last fittings which we were waiting for have just arrived and engineers from the Irrigation and Agriculture Development are here to supervise the manpower so that the fittings are done and we are expecting the job to be complete in two weeks’ time,” he said.
