Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
COMMUNITIES in Gutu East Constituency are benefiting from the government’s drive to empower citizens and promote self-reliance through skills development and agricultural support programmes aimed at improving livelihoods and stimulating rural industrialisation.
The initiatives, being rolled out under the leadership of the ZANU‑PF-led government, are equipping villagers with practical vocational skills while also strengthening agricultural production and value addition in rural communities.
A new chapter of empowerment for villagers began with the launch of the Gutu East Development and Empowerment Programme at Bhasera Business Centre. The programme will provide communities with training in various vocational courses through a partnership with Tonganyika Trust.
“We have seen the launch of empowerment programmes in this area, a programme that will open up opportunities for young people and women to be trained in various courses. The courses presented here include hotel and catering, cutting and designing, driving, welding, carpentry, among many others,” a community member said.
Another villager said the initiative had also brought valuable partnerships that will enhance agricultural production through pass-on livestock schemes.
“What excited us the most is that our Member of Parliament, Honourable Zvarevashe Masvingise brought us partners from universities who are going to assist in the pass-on schemes. We are looking forward to improved breeds of goats, cattle and free-range cattle,” another added.
Community members also expressed optimism over partnerships with local universities that will support production and value addition of traditional grains.
“Here we specialize in small grains and we are happy to partner with Great Zimbabwe University and Bindura University of Science Education, who revealed that they are ready to buy our produce and assist in value adding to them,” a villager said.
Local tertiary institutions have committed to providing technical expertise, training and research support to strengthen agricultural productivity in the constituency.
“As Bindura University of Science Education, we are going to engage ourselves with this community by participating, empowering them, and engaging them to improve their livelihoods. We will be focusing on crop improvement and production, improving livestock farming, value addition of their produce and apiculture among other programmes,” Bindura University Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Johnson Masaka said.
Meanwhile, Great Zimbabwe University Dean of the Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture, Xavier Poshiwa, said the institution will assist communities with production and processing of traditional grains as well as poultry farming.
“As Great Zimbabwe University, we are going to be partnering with this community in the production, processing and consumption of traditional grains and the production of free-range chickens. As you are aware, we have a processing plant and our dryland innovation centre in Chivi, which can process 150 tonnes of traditional grains per day; hence production needs to be upped in our rural communities, hence engagement with the Gutu community,” he said.
The launch of the empowerment initiatives was officiated by the Minister of State for National Security, Lovemore Matuke, who emphasised the importance of equipping communities with practical skills and productive projects that improve household incomes.
“What we are witnessing here in Gutu East is in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision of ensuring improved livelihoods of communities. Our people are being capacitated so that they can generate income for themselves and their families. These are some of the developments that have compelled them to say we want President Emmerson Mnangagwa to fulfill his 2030 aspirations, hence the amendment of our constitution,” he said.
Gutu Women’s Quota Member of Parliament, Yeukai Simbanegavi, encouraged communities, particularly women, to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the programmes.
“I want to encourage this community to actively take part in these development programmes that are being introduced, especially women, so that you improve your livelihoods,” she said.
The initiatives were organised by Gutu East legislator Zvarevashe Masvingise, who said the programmes are designed to ensure communities actively participate in economic development activities.
“We introduced this programme so that our people in Gutu East can acquire practical skills that will help them start their own projects and improve their livelihoods. As a constituency, we want to see communities becoming self-reliant through skills training and agricultural production,” he said.
Government continues to promote community empowerment initiatives as part of broader efforts to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy through inclusive and sustainable development.
