Story by Gay Matambo
RURAL communities in Chiredzi have hailed the Second Republic for rolling out programmes that spur rural industrialisation, which include the establishment of Village Business Units across the country.
The latest to benefit from the government’s rural industrialisation agenda is the Rusununguko community in Chiredzi East constituency as a Village Business Unit consisting of a one-hectare plot equipped with irrigation systems, fish ponds, and other agricultural infrastructure was established last month.
The village business unit, which will see more than 120 villagers, producing agricultural products, is expected to boost economic activity and improve the livelihoods of this community.
“We are hopeful that in three months we will be able to sell our produce. We have been assured that the markets are ready and we are happy because this programme will surely transform our community,” a beneficiary of the programme said.
“We used to have small gardens near rivers and streams but recently we were given this project equipped with drip irrigation facilities. We will be able to fend for our families as women through this project and we thank our President Emmerson Mnangagwa for such initiatives which transform our lives,” another Rusununguko villager said.
“The Village Business Unit has also seen the community having access to unlimited access clean water. We have an aquaculture project which will see us selling close to 3 000 fish shortly and as a community, we are grateful for such empowerment opportunities,” a Rusununguko villager added.
To date, more than 30 business units, which include village, chiefs’ and school business units have been established across Chiredzi district.
“We are happy with this development taking place in our area. We have eight Chiefs business units under the Zunde raMambo programme and we also have 11 school business units. The rest are village business units. We are noticing from the ones that have been established the locals are busy working on ensuring that the units are viable.
“They are opening bank accounts and planting their crops and everything is in place. You might want to note that the initiative is a bit different from the usual nutritional gardens programme which we are used to. We are shifting from that to this bigger programme by government which aims to spur rural industrialisation,” Chiredzi Rural District Council chairperson, Councillor John Mashingaidze said.
Village business units are registered as formal companies, with the beneficiaries being both employees earning wages and shareholders earning dividends from the ventures.
