WALKING long distances in search of water, relying on the neighbouring Botswana for mobile phone network connectivity including boarding buses to either Bulawayo or Plumtree to buy foodstuffs, was an everyday reality for the Jinjika community in Mangwe, Matabeleland South Province.
Situated near Shashe River, which straddles the Zimbabwe and Botswana border, Jinjika village had been left behind in terms of development.
Their situation was characterised by despair and hopelessness.
Even the gods were not smiling at them.
Jinjika is one of the driest areas in the country and in successive years, they planted and harvested nothing.
In December 2021, a new chapter was opened when President Mnangagwa visited the area to launch the Sekusile Makorokoro Presidential Horticulture Programme.
Under the Presidential Rural Development Scheme, Government will drill and equip one borehole in each of the country’s 35 000 villages.
The programme is expected to uplift over 1,8 million households from poverty into prosperity through increased household incomes as well as the creation of employment and empowerment opportunities.”
Each village will also be empowered with a nutrition garden with a wide range of fruit trees and sweet potato vines being distributed to households.
It will improve access to water, through horticulture produce communities’ diet is expected to improve through solar powered irrigation farming.
This is part of the Government’s strategy to transform rural communities to be more economic productive as the country inches towards Vision 2030.
Since President Mnangagwa’s launch of the project nearly two years ago, lives are being transformed beyond the agriculture projects.
While the aim of horticulture garden was to ensure crop production, Government deliberately installed a communal tap water system ending the village’s water distress for both human and livestock in the dry region which often experience water challenges especially during the dry season.
As life is made easier for the community, our Bulawayo Bureau yesterday observed rural women moving from the traditional hand pump borehole to just opening tap water to draw water without a hustle.
Miss Thandolwenkosi Sikhosana (25), said prior to the drilling of the tap water community borehole, they struggled to get clean water and were even using unprotected water sources.
“We didn’t have a reliable source of water. Our hand pumps boreholes would sometimes break down forcing us to draw water from unprotected sources such as wells, but now life has been made easy,” she said.
“Anytime, we come here and draw water from this tap. Our lives as women have been made easier and we are thankful to the interventions that came with the establishment of the garden which also provides us with a source of living.”
Sekusile Makorokoro Presidential Horticulture Scheme chairperson Mr Buzwani Maphosa said the garden has changed the lives of nearly 150 villagers in the area.
He said while they have directly benefited from the garden, the Presidential scheme also brought development to the community.
“Since we started farming, we have harvested four times and this is our fifth crop. The garden has changed our lives. We have been able to supply the local market with our products and even sell to the neighbouring villages such as Mayobodo,” said Mr Maphosa.
“In the past, people used to travel as far as Bulawayo just to get vegetables but we are now the major supplier here. Even our nutrition has greatly improved.”
Mr Maphosa said the establishment of the garden had also led to development in the community.
“We now have a piped tap water which provides our community with water. In the past we used to struggle to access water, but now we don’t need to use power to pump, as we are just opening taps to draw water,” he said.
“The improved water supply has also benefited our livestock as we now have a canal outside the garden where our animals drink. For all this we are grateful to the President for bringing development to our doorstep.”
Mr Maphosa said part of the transformation is that they can now access local mobile telecommunication services unlike in the past when they relied on Botswana cellphone networks.
“When the President came here in 2021 our challenges were communicated including the fact we didn’t have access to local cellphone networks. A booster was then installed and we can now access local networks unlike in the past when we solely relied on Botswana network services,” he said.
The news crew observed that cabbage, tomatoes, carrots and onion had been planted with the crops at different stages of germination.
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes Dr Joram Gumbo who yesterday was touring the Kusile Makorokoro Presidential Horticulture Scheme expressed satisfaction with development trajectory that has been implemented by the Second Republic in the area.
He said the Kusile Makorokoro Presidential Horticulture Scheme, which was the first to be launched, speaks to Government’s inclusive development.
“As per His Excellency, the President’s mantra that no place and no community should be left behind, I’m impressed with what I have seen here. There is a thriving garden that is producing all types of vegetables, there is also fisheries and there is also piped water scheme where women and the community are benefiting from quite an impressive project,” he said.
“This speaks to improving people’s lives as we are focusing on Vision 2030.”
Dr Gumbo said it is essential for the community to also access services offered in the country as it strengthen their national belongingness.
He said as such President Mnangagwa deliberately launched the horticulture programme within their community which culminated in the installation of a mobile telecommunications booster.
“This community is very, very lucky because of the 35 000 village nutritional gardens that will be created across the country, and this one is the first to be established. The community here is very happy that they are first beneficiary of the President’s programme,” said Dr Gumbo.
“It also critical that they are connected with the rest of Zimbabwe. You’ll realise this area is located at the border with Botswana and if locals they are not connected with the motherland; they will be connected with the neighbouring Botswana.”
Dr Gumbo said he was also briefed about the water pumping challenges especially when temperatures are low.
He said the community also needs to be equipped with information communication technology skills and desire a vocational training centre as part of their empowerment dreams. – The Herald
