Story by Providence Maraneli
COMMUNITIES in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South, are beginning to see tangible improvements in household incomes and food security following the establishment of village business units along the Umzingwane Dam pipeline.
The initiative, implemented under the National Development Strategy, has addressed long-standing challenges linked to water access and climate variability, particularly for communities living near the pipeline who previously struggled to irrigate their crops.
Eight village business units have been established along the pipeline, forming part of a broader district-wide programme that is repositioning smallholder agriculture as a viable economic activity rather than a subsistence pursuit.
At Mlomoliwotho Village, one such unit has enabled farmers to transition into organised production, supported by improved infrastructure.
“Last year we grew sugar beans, and we made money, and we have been empowered, we are now operating this VBU as a business entity. Of course, we had a challenge with water pressure last year, but now we have Jojo tanks and solar,” said VBU chairperson Mr Hloniphani Moyo.
Residents say the impact has gone beyond crop production, improving household resilience in the face of climate change.
“We are so happy with what the government has done for us; we are now food secure,” a community member said.
“With climate change, this is the answer to our challenges; we are now able to send our children to school,” a beneficiary said.
According to Umzingwane District Agritex extension officer Mr Bhekilizwe Ncube, the district currently has 23 village business units, with 11 operating at full capacity.
“As we move into NDS2, our main thrust in these VBUs is to move into cash crops which will enhance the communities’ lives, develop them and also make them food secure. We are happy to report that of the 23 VBUs in the district, 11 are fully functional, and eight are along the Umzingwane dam pipeline. We feel our communities have been empowered,” Umzingwane District Agritex extension officer Mr Bhekilizwe Ncube said.
Having pioneered the concept of VBU’s when President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the Jinjika Presidential Rural horticulture scheme in Makorokoro in Mangwe in 2022, Matabeleland South Province has been turned into a greenbelt with more than 140 village units being established in the province.
