Masvingo and Chivi Rural District Councils are seeking $300 000 for the Tokwe Mukorsi Dam local development master plan, a senior official said yesterday.
Speaking at an end-of-year party and launch of household ZimAsset project yesterday, Chivi RDC chairman Killer Zivhu said once the plan has been drafted, the local authority expects to get lots of revenue from the dam, currently 95 percent complete.
Tokwe Mukorsi Dam is an unfinished concrete-face rockfill dam on the Tokwe River, just downstream of its confluence with the Mukorsi River, about 72 kilometres south of Masvingo.
“There are a lot of business opportunities we will accrue from the dam, which is almost complete.
“We expect tourism and hospitality revenue as we want to license boating clubs, fishing clubs, wildlife as well as lodges However, we have not yet completed the local development plan to allocate stands,” Zivhu said.
Chivi RDC chief executive Tariro Matavire said they are in talks with Masvingo RDC to jointly raise the funds since the dam also falls under the latter’s purview.
“We are still discussing with Masvingo RDC for funds for the rural development plan. This should be done sooner than later as Tokwe Mukorsi Dam should be a cash cow for us as many people would want to do business there,” he said.
Tokwe Mukorsi Dam is set to be completed next year after sugar producer, Tongaat Hullet, availed €20 million needed for the completion of the dam.
The dam is expected to become Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body with a capacity of 1,8 billion cubic metres, with a flood area straddling over 9 600 hectares.
Matavire appealed to government for assistance saying Tokwe Mukorsi was a strategic business venture.
Last Thursday, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa allocated $4,5 million in the National Budget for upgrading of the access road to the dam, but did not put up any vote for the local development master plan. Daily News
