By Staff Reporter

as he commissions 8 million Piped Water Scheme in Chivi

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hailed devolution saying the policy has afforded communities to choose their developmental projects without being dictated to by the Central Government.

He said this while commissioning the ZWL$8 million Chombwe Piped Water Scheme in Chivi yesterday.

“What we now have is a situation whereby Harare will no longer dictate what is wanted in outlying parts of the country. Under the Second Republic, we now have a new way of doing things where communities decide their own projects that will be funded under devolution and we are very impressed with ground that has been covered in a short space of time with 74 projects having been funded in Masvingo this year alone which was impossible if Harare was dictating the pace like before,” said President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa said devolution funding is a game changer for the country’s economy and he said a bright future beckons.

“The future is bright. We can see that the future is bright. What has been a problem is the magnitude of hardships where we are coming from but the future is bright,” said the President.

The President said developmental projects such as the Chombwe Piped Water Scheme will be replicated in other parts of the country in the next five years.

While addressing people in Chivi, the President further said in the next five years, people should be able to grow their own food so that they can be food sufficient.

 “We have started the war against hunger here in Chivi that will spread to all parts of the country within the next five years and we want our people to be able to grow enough food for themselves while also stocking GMB and growing other crops for sale. Our thrust is all year round crop production with schemes like these so there will be no excuse for failure,” said President Mnangagwa.

The commissioned Chombwe Piped Water Scheme, which was wholly funded by Government’s devolution funds, has been lying idle for the past 25 years due to breakdown of infrastructure to pump, store and convey water.

About 10 000 households in Chivi North and Central constituencies are expected to benefit from the scheme through the supply of piped raw water.

The piped water is also expected to support irrigation activities for the people in these two constituencies thereby making them food sufficient.