Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Bhebhe and Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Chronicle Writers

MATABELELAND South Province has hailed the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme and the revival of irrigation schemes for significantly cushioning both people and livestock in the face of severe El Niño-induced drought.

The province is one of the hardest hit by drought having lost over 3 500 cattle in recent months due to severe drought conditions that resulted in widespread depletion of pastures and drying of major water sources mainly across the southern region.

Last month the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) announced that a total of 3 063 boreholes had been drilled across the country as of September and under the same programme the agency is drilling 9  600 boreholes in schools and 4 500 boreholes for youth centres.

Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa)

Matabeleland South province has immensely benefited from the ongoing Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme whose overall national target is 35 000 solar powered boreholes meant to ensure that every citizen has access to clean water. Under the programme, 35  000 villages in Zimbabwe will have a solar-powered borehole, which will also see the setting up of nutritional garden business units in each village as the country pushes ahead with the rural industrialisation programme.

Matabeleland South Provincial Permanent Secretary, Mrs Latiso Dlamini-Maseko yesterday told delegates who are attending the Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Joint Sector Review (JSR) conference in Bulawayo that the Presidential Borehole Programme and irrigation projects have come in handy in unlocking the province’s untapped economic potential while cushioning thousands of people from drought.

She applauded the integration approach, which has proved to be effective in harnessing and addressing the critical needs of the communities that includes water provision for both humans and livestock and improved sanitation with food production.
Mrs Dlamini-Maseko said that sustainable management of water resources and access to safe water and sanitation were essential for unlocking economic growth and productivity while providing significant leverage for existing investments.
“The Presidential Borehole Scheme has immensely improved water challenges for both our humans and livestock and we thank His Excellency for this programme,” she said.

“We are a province that prides itself with its livestock. It’s our competitive advantage. We are so grateful to this programme that as long as you drill a borehole, our cattle will also benefit from the boreholes,” said Mrs Dlamini-Maseko.
“In the province, 32 piped water schemes under the Wash Programme since January 2024 have immensely improved water woes in our communities.
“People were fetching water from sources about 15 kilometres away from homesteads.

However, the boreholes drilled are part of the devolution agenda to bring services closer to the people.”
In a separate interview, Matabeleland South provincial chiefs council chairperson, Chief Tshitaudze of Beitbridge West, said the Presidential Borehole Scheme came at the right time as the province was hard hit by the El Nino-induced drought.
“I may not have the figures off hand here, but I confirm that we have had a number of boreholes drilled across our province and the process is still ongoing.

“Even us as chiefs are beneficiaries and we would like to appreciate these efforts by our Government,” said Chief Tshitaudze.
He said drought effects saw some mechanical boreholes drying up, which at times would cause tensions among villagers as they compete for the few functioning boreholes.
“Tensions would be the order of the day among villagers, livestock would also suffer but the situation is now better with this borehole scheme.

One of the community boreholes supplied by Zinwa after the completion of Epping Forest Bulawayo Water Supply Augmentation project and pumping station to be commissioned by President Mnangagwa

‘It’s not over as more boreholes are still being drilled but the programme helped alleviate a possible livestock and even human catastrophe,” said Chief Tshitaudze.
The two-day Wash Conference began yesterday under the theme “Climate Resilient Wash Services: A Call to Sustainable Service Delivery”.

The conference has drawn participants from key ministries, including the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and he Ministry of Health and Child Care and several development partners.
Wash universal access is also in sync with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number six.

Meanwhile, Mrs Dlamini-Maseko has added that provinces that lie in region four and five and characterised by high temperatures and low rainfall need more water harvesting for irrigation so as to grow their food throughout the year including wheat farming.

She said although for now no significant deliveries are made at the Grain Marketing Board, wheat cultivation will ultimately contribute to national economic growth.
“The water sector is unlocking economic growth and productivity for Matabeleland South. We never thought we were a cropping area, we are now running irrigation schemes,” said Mrs Dlamini-Maseko.

Mrs Latiso Dlamini-Maseko

“As a driest province, we are growing wheat. We might not be delivering to GMB, but we can feed ourselves. We are harvesting wheat.”
Government under the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (Sirp) has rehabilitated 10 irrigation schemes in Matabeleland South Province as part of efforts to de-risk agriculture and mitigate climate change related droughts.

It also aims to climate-proof agriculture in order to improve food and nutrition security at household level and ensure the realisation of Vision 2030.
The objectives are in line with President Mnangagwa’s plan to irrigate 350 000 hectares by 2025 up from 171 000 hectares in 2020.
The area under irrigation has increased to over 187 471 hectares courtesy of Sirp and other programmes.