by Christopher Makaza

Agriculture is the biggest driver of Zimbabwe's economy, hence it must be mechanized and modernized to protect it against climate change, says President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa made the comments yesterday, while commissioning Marovanyati dam in Buhera, which is going to boost agriculture and consequently economic growth.

“In Zimbabwe, we know we have resources, primarily our agriculture is the biggest driver of our economic growth. That agriculture must be modernized and mechanized, modernized because we need to proof ourselves against climate change and to do so we must have water bodies where we do irrigation.

“Marovanyati dam will ensure that we determine the number of hectares to which we should produce enough grain to sustain the nation without or with drought. We still believed in the concept which was imperialistic that whatever development must happen in the country must be on the basis on foreign technology and skills and we are moving away from that,” said the President.

The President also highlighted that said the dam was constructed using local resources despite the prevailing economic challenges.

“We didn’t think this would do with internal resources, we thought to look for a loan from those who can extend that to us for the construction of the dam and then spend ten years repaying that loan. We have built this dam with our own resources despite having sanctions on us, coming from our budget and taxes, meaning with unity and peace, we can build a lot of infrastructures.

The President also cited how the dam is going to assist development in the area.

“Development of Murambinda must become modern as the dam will cater for sanitation. Dorowa mine will not have water problems as we have sorted and this dam will distribute water in the radius of 14 km and an irrigation scheme of 1250 hectares will be established and plans are underway to ensure that canals will move water to ensure modern technology will be used for the irrigation purposes. This irrigation scheme will benefit locals and no one from outside this area will benefit,” said the President.

Marovanyati Dam has a storage capacity of 50 million cubic metres and is on the Mwerihari river, a perennial river with an annual flow of 182 million cubic metres, which experts say will always have adequate capacity to meet the demand expected to surge to 600 megalitres by 2030.

The dam has been providing water to Murambinda irrigation scheme and Murambinda Growth Point and is expected to supply two more irrigation schemes that are being developed.