Makonde villagers call for dams rehab

VILLAGERS in Ward 3, Makonde District in Mashonaland West are urging Government to rehabilitate two dams that burst their walls more than 15 years ago.

They believe the dams — Dam 1 and Dam 2 — can be used for irrigation and the Command Fisheries programme, which is currently being spearheaded by Government.

Village head Mr James Tangwanda said the dams could enhance agricultural production for six villages in the vicinity.

“Apart from burst walls, the dams also need urgent attention to de-silt them as they are currently filled with sand. The dams are used by the villagers for drinking (water) and irrigation.”

Similarly, Village 18 headman Mr January Test Choto said although the villagers had played their part in trying to rebuild the dams, their efforts were not restorative enough. “We tried to rebuild the dams but to no avail as we used boulders without cement.

“We pleaded with the local authority for cement donations, but to no avail as well,” he said.

Mr Alexander Murindagomo, a farmer and former war collaborator, said farmers in the area were interested in fish and irrigation projects.

“The dam walls collapsed in 2003 and no attention has been given to them. We are interested in fisheries and irrigation projects, but the state of the dams do not allow us to do so,” he said.

However, Ward 3 councillor Cde Scholastic Matigi said efforts were currently underway to rehabilitate the dams.

Makonde’s acting permanent secretary for the District Development Fund (DDF) and related infrastructure Mr Edwin Toriro recently said efforts are underway to ensure that each district has the capacity to irrigate at least 200 hectares.