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Mthabisi Tshuma in Bulilima

THEMBA Khuphe, the female village head of Tembisa Village in Bambadzi ward, Bulilima District, once saw running water and clean drinking as a distant dream.

Every morning, she would rally her community to cross illegally into neighbouring Botswana and draw water from the Maitengwe River. This perilous journey was a daily gamble against arrest, a risk they willingly took to quench their thirst. While some filled containers, others watched for border patrols from both countries.

Khuphe’s family was not alone in this desperate act. Many residents near the Maitengwe River resorted to “water poaching,” often under the cover of darkness. The region’s chronic water shortage had forced them to rely on Botswana for survival. With no boreholes or wells, villagers faced the constant threat of arrest while seeking this essential resource.

Years of hardship have turned to hope for Bambadzi residents. Thanks to the swift intervention of President Mnangagwa and his “leaving no one and no place behind” philosophy, the community now has access to water. The transformative change is a testament to the Second Republic’s commitment to delivering essential services to rural areas.

Villagers from Bambadzi in Bulilima district fetch water from a solar-powered borehole set up through the Presidential Rural Development Programme

Through the Presidential Rural Development Programme, Bambadzi ward is part of the beneficiaries of solar-powered boreholes with a storage capacity of between 10 000 and 20 000 litres and a nutritional garden ranging from 0,5 to 1 hectare.

Places that have benefited from the initiative include Tembisa Village in Bambadzi, Bambadzi Business Centre, Makhulela 2 Primary School, Dupute Village in Makhulela Ward, Bisoli Village in Ndolwane Ward, Ntambana Village in Huwana Ward, Mambo Clinic in Masendu Ward, Tjompani Village in Dombodema Ward, Vunda Village in Somnene Ward, Ntunungwe Secondary School in Ntunungwe

Ward, and Gato Village in Tshankwa Ward, among other places. Khuphe expressed immense gratitude for the new water source, underlining the relief of no longer having to risk breaking the law to secure clean water.

“We are happy to have clean water in our village, which was made possible by our President Mnangagwa. We were struggling before as we had to illegally cross to Botswana in order to have access to clean water.

“Today we are on cloud nine as we now have water at our disposal and also a nutritional garden. We want to thank President Mnangagwa for this gesture as it has gone a long way in uplifting our lives,” said Khuphe.

Ward 10 Councillor Sikhumbuzo Dube said the development has increased community engagement and involvement in other projects.“This is a programme brought by President Mnangagwa, meant to uplift the lives of rural people, particularly here in Bulilima district.

Bambadzi ward is one of the most affected areas as it is adjacent to the border area of Zimbabwe and Botswana, and people from Zimbabwe had to cross to Botswana to get water. “President Mnangagwa saw it fit that it wasn’t right for his people to cross to another country in order to get clean water.

Today we are pleased with this development as only a few people from the ward can say they have water challenges. We would like to thank President Mnangagwa and Bulilima legislator Cde Dingumuzi Phuti for working closely and united with his councillors.

“It is my wish that this programme cascades to other wards as with water people can be able to make a living for themselves through setting up gardens where they are able to grow crops meant for their homes with the surplus being sold,” said Dube.

A youth from Bisoli Village in Ward 13, California Dube, said they have been given a chance to prepare for their future.“As a young person, this is a lifetime opportunity which will help us shape our future as now we are able to farm in the garden after being allocated a section for youths.

I passed my Ordinary Levels but I am failing to go to tertiary level due to funds. With the proceeds from my sales, I will save so that I can pay my tertiary fees,” said Dube. Bulilima legislator Dingumuzi Phuti said the timely intervention by President Mnangagwa fulfils part of his set goals for 2023-2028 as the parliamentary representative of the people in Bulilima constituency and it shows that the  President is a decorated leader.

“In the history of my home area, particularly my constituency, from the time that I was growing up to the time that I assumed the role of Member of Parliament, I had never seen accelerated growth in the manner that I am witnessing now. The time is just right because there is a combination of factors that have led to my success as an MP, chief among them being under the able and trusted leadership of a visionary President who knows administration and implementation.

“I have leveraged on the good leadership existing to try and push the development trajectory in segmented pillars that I have streamlined. Let me hasten to talk about the developmental trajectory in the sector of water and sanitation.

We want to thank the President, His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa, for identifying a strategic role that should be played by the water authority of the country to ensure that every village has clean water, as a scheme for human consumption, for animals in places like ours where there are no large dams, and also for nutrition gardens,” said Phuti.–@mthabisi_mthire.