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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
FOR years, villagers from Nathisa, Matobo District in Matabeleland South had a dream of having a community dam to address their perennial water problems and create a greenbelt in the area to boost food security.

The nearest dam was about 6km away.

However, what stood between them and their dream was US$240 000 needed to construct the dam.

They then took a leap of faith, decided to kickstart the project by coming together and creating boundaries of the dam by digging four-metre deep trenches.

They also collected quarry stone for the dam wall before they were joined by local commercial farmer Mr Peter Cunningham who roped in his friend and businessman with interests in the construction industry Mr James Ross Goddard to crystalise the villagers’ vision.

Even with the coming of the machinery, boys as young as 14 years old and grannies as old as 80 became part of the community team that worked on a daily basis towards the construction of the Nathisa-Zenzeleni Dam, Zenzeleni meaning do it yourself.

The dam was completed in October and has since started impounding water.
Government commissioned the waterbody on Thursday and it will further provide the community with 100 000 fingerlings for a fish project.

The community has also entered into a partnership Mr Cunningham for a number of projects including horticulture, poultry, ostrich and cattle rearing.

Speaking during the commissioning of the dam, the dam committee chairman Mr Michael Nyathi narrated how different generations from Shumbe-Shabe villages united to ensure the community dam was constructed.

“Quite sincerely, I have never seen such energy. All these old people were working hard and what does this mean for us? You will see more and more rivulets turning into dams. If we have many of these small dams, we will revive the wetlands. Government is pursuing Vision 2030, and part of this vision is to achieve food security and we are promising a successful Vision 2030 in this place through crop production,” said Mr Nyathi.

Mr Cunningham said while the project cost US$240 000, his friendship with Mr Goddard has enabled him to complete it before funds are channelled.

“The project is valued at US$240 000 of which Goddard is putting in US$70 000 and we are going to pay the balance over the next couple of years. We would be paying Mr Goddard who conducted the construction works.

It’s going to help 50 to 100 villagers to have a totally different life. It will help them to combat climate change through resilience projects,” said Mr Cunningham.

He said his vision is to have similar dams at the confluence of rivers in Matobo while the other water would be coming from the mountains.

“But more importantly for us is the vision to have multiple dams like these in the communities. Often people think of very big projects and big dams but in the Matobo area, we need to have a lot of these dams. They will transform the communities,” he said.

Mr Goddard said the community’s commitment to the dam’s construction is in line with President Mnangagwa’s national vision where citizens need to be involved in the transformation of their communities.

“We have united and have done a good thing which is exactly what President Mnangagwa wants. The President said there are four things that we need to address, that is employment creation, investment and development, production: agriculture production and mining production, industrial manufacturing and tourism,” said Mr Goddard.

“These are the things that the President said we should prioritise including foreign currency generation and import substitution. What I can say to you is that you have already done exactly what the President wants. You should not think that you have excelled. You have just started and you should continue.”

He commended the support his engineers and construction team got from the community saying they were freely sheltered and fed when they were conducting the construction works.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Douglas Karoro, who commissioned the dam, said the community initiative shows how far people can develop if they are united.

“I will tell the President that the people of Matobo are amazing people, the people of Matobo are united. The people of Matobo want development and are walking your talk. They are supporting your vision. In the Ministry Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development I’m the Deputy Minister responsible for fisheries, since I have come here to witness and see the great work that you have done on the dam, I will make sure that when the rains fill up the dam, I will instruct our department to bring fish. I think, for a start we will give you 100 000 fingerlings,” said Deputy Minister Karoro.

“I am also happy with the name of the dam which is Zenzeleni, meaning do it yourself, you are actually inspiring other communities to do it the way you did. We need people from all walks of life to come and build and develop our nation.”

He said the building of water bodies is necessary especially considering that water harvesting has become a necessity due to climate change.

“What the community has done is to create a model for others to follow as opposed to having someone coming up with handouts. We need to work together and create employment and exports that the country needs for foreign currency generation. I encourage that this can be a model of adoption across this region,” he said.

The event was attended by local leaders including Matobo Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Elvis Sibanda who said the construction of the dam is a step towards attaining Vision 2030.

While Matobo North legislator who is also Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo praised the Cunningham family and Mr Goddard for uplifting lives in the area. —  @nqotshili