Farmers watch helplessly as animals succumb to the devastating drought in Matabeleland South. Each one of them awaits the inevitable message that another one has died. Slowly but surely their only meaningful assets diminish. On the other hand life’s daily requirements are not relenting as bills accumulate. Our lifetime is impinged by sorrow and misery, certainly a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
This is the time farmers are calling for miracles to happen: each day they silently pray for the unlikely September rain. Rainmaking ceremonies are happening everywhere but there is no rain, at least not yet.
Water is indeed the systemic solution to many problems bedevilling Matebeleland region. This is confirmed by our hundred years into the hunt for Zambezi river water. But quite honestly, this has been an elusive dream for many people who have lived before us. I too pray that one day this project becomes a reality.
Before that, we need to live a good life because God does not give us a second chance on earth. That calls for short term conquests. God says in life’s manual that there is a solution to every problem; He does not present you with a problem greater than your ability to solve it. He has given us the necessary tools for every job. Let us use the God given brains to solve our water problem.
Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, may his soul rest in eternal peace, left us very wise words which we have not taken seriously. The word lima (farming) can be reversed to say mali (money). The greatest threat to making money through farming in Matebeleland is water. Yes, we all talk about it but surely we are not putting enough thought, energy and money as individuals and collectively as local government in order to turn around the situation.
Two weeks ago in my article, ‘Community leaders on land degradation’, I mentioned the plight of Madamawuke community in Nkayi District and their efforts to scoop silt that has seriously reduced the water carrying capacity of Madamawuke Dam. They have since raised enough money to buy diesel to augment any external efforts. Heir apparent to Madliwa chieftainship, Siphumuzi Khumalo brought the plight of this community to the fore and the Department of Farm Mechanisation has since reaffirmed its commitment to help the community before the beginning of the rainy season. Let us see Nkayi RDC offer help as well. Umntwana ongakhaliyo ufela embelekweni.
Communal land is jointly owned and managed by those who occupy it. You certainly cannot go it alone. It follows that communal farmers must come together all the time to confront problems. Minding your own business is like proclaiming a death sentence to the whole community.
Last week I was part of a team that went water hunting in the Chief Hobodo area in Mangwe District. Again a local group comprised of Mangwe Farmers Association (MFA) members invited the team that eventually brought so much relief to the bewildered farmers. The team carried out water quantity tests on the seemingly dry riverbed. I went on to discover that along rivers are large pools of water that are covered deep in sand. At one such place the team placed a sand abstraction unit that has since pumped over ten thousand litres of water without showing any signs of depleting the source. This is only one of the three sites that were found to have plenty water within a three kilometre stretch this far during a drought year. The community provided human resource that significantly reduced installation costs of the sand abstraction unit.
There is very little planning on the part of central and local government in so far as human settlements is concerned in rural areas. So much financial and human resources are being directed to non-priority areas. We need to turn to the constitution of Zimbabwe that gives us a chance to redeem ourselves from bad leadership very five years. Our future lies within us.
Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have since become an industry that takes care of itself rather than the poverty they purport to serve. Real life changing methodologies are there but not supported. It no longer amazes me why NGOs are keen on relief rather than development work because relief work keeps them in business, while development work takes them out very fast.
FEEDBACK:
· Goodday, could you please email a quotation for 5 pregnant sows, nearing birth and one mature boar. Due to start a piggery project soon. vincenndlovu@gmail.com
· I read your column and would like to be assisted as a young farmer. I do beef steers and would like to know how I could sell my steers at the ZITF. R. Maphosa
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