Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan Approved: Interesting Times Ahead

There are many interesting details regarding the Tugwi Mukosi dam, located in Chivi. It was commissioned in 2017. You may also hear it being called Tokwe Mukosi. The name comes from the two rivers upon which the dam was built. These are Tugwi and Mukosi. Tugwi Mukosi’s dam wall is roughly 90 metres in height (from the river bed). To give you some perspective, that is equivalent to the height of a building with 20 floors. Tugwi Mukosi is the biggest inland water body in Zimbabwe. Tugwi Mukosi only comes second to Kariba dam when it comes to the biggest artificial lakes. You can learn more about Tugwi Mukosi here. Let us talk about the Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan.

What Is The Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan?

Tugwi Mukosi was commissioned in 2017. For all these years the dam has been largely unused. The Master plan is a blueprint that will steer developmental initiatives premised on or around the Tugwi Mukosi dam. Some of the notable developmental initiatives will pertain to tourism and agriculture. Examples under tourism shall be holiday homes, gaming viewing, and harbours. Some examples of agriculture will be irrigation and fisheries. The Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan will provide guidance and will also play a regulatory role.

The Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan came about from a collective effort by Zimbabwean universities. The Master Plan was recently ratified by Cabinet. A Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan Authority has already been set up. It will be the implementation body or agency. It is the one that will oversee the execution of the Master Plan. The Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan Authority comprises of Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), ZimParks, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), and councillors from affected areas from Chivi and Masvingo.

Lots Of Agricultural Prospects

The capacity of Tugwi Mukosi dam is more than enough to enable irrigation of more than 40 000 hectares. This will feed into the overall goal to place roughly 200 000 hectares under productive agriculture in the Lowveld region. Thus enhancing value addition in agriculture. The thrust is to see agro-processing companies emerge to tap into export markets. Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services had this to say:

Cabinet agreed that three new irrigation schemes measuring 3852 hectares will be established, with the Banga Irrigation Scheme being expanded from 64 hectares to 195 hectares. Tugwi Mukosi dam alone has the potential to irrigate about 40 000 hectares of land in the country’s Lowveld.

What To Expect From The Roll Out Of The Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan

Minister Mutsvangwa went on in detail to lay out what people can expect from this Master Plan. She said:

Amenities such as schools, health centres, business nodes, heritage sites, museums, hotels, lodges, and training institutes will be developed over an area spanning two rural district councils and extending upstream and downstream of the Tugwi Mukosi dam. Other developments will incorporate harbours, holiday homes, golf courses, nature, and game viewing. A recreational park and conservation areas will be developed, while a fish processing plant will be established near Tugwi Mukosi. There will be a harbour and light house control tower, while a power generation plant on the dam will provide communities and businesses with clean energy and drive irrigation projects in support of household and national food security.

Chivi Communities To Benefit Immensely

Chivi is generally arid which is why they really need irrigation. The approval of the Tugwi Mukosi Combination Master Plan presents exciting times ahead for them. The planned irrigation schemes will enhance crop and livestock production. Those who already had irrigation schemes can look forward to their expansion. Then those who did not have any, can expect to get new irrigation schemes set up. All the other developmental projects planned will also benefit the same communities and beyond.

There will be employment creation and many business opportunities will be created as well. Substantial modernization is bound to happen in these communities as this Master Plan is rolled out. To buttress this, Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira had this to say:

We will make sure that communities around that dam are not left out when the cake is being shared. There will be a stake reserved for locals at Tugwi Mukosi in all developments that will take place now that the Master Plan is ready.

The planned power station is going to have a production capacity of over 17 MW. This will be a welcome development given the murky power situation in Zimbabwe. It is also good to know that the Master Plan indicates that over 20 fishing cooperatives shall be licensed. Coupled with the planned fish processing plant, the future looks exciting. What is crucial is that the Master Plan needs to be properly implemented. It is often the biggest challenge in Zimbabwe that most good plans never quite materialize. Tugwi Mukosi dam is an important entity that needs to be effectively appropriated. Its benefits can actually be far-reaching to the extent of having economic significance. All that is possible if the implementation is done properly as planned.