Govt avails $3m to Tokwe Mukosi flood victims

GOVERNMENT has released $3 million to compensate some of the 18 000 families relocated to Chingwizi after being displaced from the Tokwe Mukosi Dam basin in Chivi in the wake of incessant rains that caused flooding three years ago.

This brings to $5 million the compensation released to the flood victims, whose homes and property were submerged following the rains that caused flooding in 2014.

The flooding forced Government to launch the largest ever mass evacuation of people in post-independent Zimbabwe, involving over 18 000 people and livestock.

Evaluations done after the relocation showed that Government was supposed to pay compensation to the flood victims to the tune of $9 million for homes and property destroyed.

Government only managed to pay an initial $2 million to the flood victims in the aftermath of the families’ relocation.

President Mugabe late last month revealed that Government would raise outstanding compensation for the flood victims.

Speaking during the commissioning of the recently completed Tokwe Mukosi Dam, President Mugabe tasked the Masvingo provincial leadership to make sure the flood victims were compensated.

Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa revealed that the flood victims had been paid about $3 million over the past three weeks.

Sen Mahofa said the Masvingo provincial leadership would continue to press Government to clear compensation arrears to the flood victims.

“The flood victims first received an initial tranche of $1,5 million before the commissioning of Tokwe Mukosi Dam by the President and I am made to believe another $1,5 million was released recently to bring to $3 million compensation that has been paid by Government to the flood victims over the past month,’’ she said.

“There are still some arrears and we expect more funds to be released so that every one is paid their dues. We want the flood victims to be able to start afresh their lives as they prepare to start benefiting from the dam’s water.’’

Sen Mahofa disclosed that a leading bank, CBZ, had opened accounts for the flood victims for Government to deposit their compensation since the country was grappling with cash shortages.

She appealed to Government through the Lands and Rural Resettlement Ministry to identify irrigable land to resettle the flood victims for them to benefit from Tokwe Mukosi Dam.

“We are asking the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement to speedily relocate the flood victims at Chingwizi so that they are resettled in areas where they will easily access Tokwe Mukosi water for irrigation,” she said. “These families should be the first to benefit from the dam because they went through difficult times.’’

Tokwe Mukosi Dam was completed on December 10 last year and has potential to irrigate over 25 000 hectares when full.

The reservoir is over 70 percent full and Government is in the process of crafting an irrigation master plan, as it seeks to introduce Command Irrigation to optimally use the dam to enhance national food security.

The dam has a full capacity of 1,8 billion cubic metres, making it Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body and was wholly financed by Government to the tune of nearly $300 million.

Besides irrigation, Tokwe Mukosi Dam will also produce 15 megawatts of electricity, while it is also a potential tourist attraction where hotels and casinos could be opened.