Gokwe women sceptical over cotton Pvumvudza programme

ON November 11, 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the cotton Pfumvudza programme in Gokwe.

The move came at a time when cotton farmers in the past felt they were sweating for no gain.

There are a lot of challenges that are still being faced despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s gesture.

Amid the challenges faced by Gokwe women, cotton production has become a thorn in the flesh because payment is coming in the form of the worthless RTGS and groceries.

Government officials make promises at the beginning of each season, but they have never been fulfilled at the end of the season.

Gokwe is well known for its high temperatures and perennial water shortages and this is another burden being faced.

Women have to walk long distances to fetch water for domestic use.

Some of the available water has been polluted by Flouride which they call “imbise” and creates an off-whitish colour when it comes into contact with teeth, thereby discolouring them.

Therefore, the water is not safe to drink, but the villagers are forced by circumstances.

Despite these difficult situations, the villagers have been forced to adopt the Pfumvudza farming method, which many feel is primitive as they are forced to spend most of their time digging holes preparing to farm the once famed golden crop, which has, however, turned to be a fallacy.

They feel this method is enslaving people at a time when modern technology can be adopted for better yields.

The other concern from Gokwe women is value-addition and how the crop benefits them.

Zimbabwe should not rely on the world market price of cotton.

Instead, it should invest in factories which process cotton into finished or semi-finished products which can fetch more money through exports.

This should be done in the Gokwe area in order to create employment and benefit the primary producers.

Women for Economic and

Social Empowerment