News / Regional
Mtshabezi Pipeline Project: 'MDC-T should not play with people's minds' says Zanu-PF
17 Jul 2013 at 21:21hrs | Views
MDC-T's attempts to use the Mtshabezi pipeline project to gain political mileage ahead of the forthcoming harmonised elections on 31 July has angered Bulawayo and Matabeleland South Governors who have warned the party against seeking credit over what does not belong to it.
Responding to reports that MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was expected to officially commission the Mtshabezi pipeline project tomorrow and use it as a campaign tool, Bulawayo Governor Cain Mathema and his Matabeleland South counterpart, Angeline Masuku said they would not sit back and allow MDC-T to mislead Zimbabweans.
"MDC-T should not play with people's minds over something that is known by everyone. The pipeline project was initiated by Vice-President Mujuru when she was the Minister of Water in the 1990s.
"MDC-T should not seek credit ngento engesiyo. If they want votes they should initiate their own projects instead of riding on other people's ideas.
That project is a brain child of Zanu-PF's brilliant leaders," said Governor Masuku. "The project cannot belong to MDC-T just because of the Inclusive Government. Zimbabweans know that the Mtshabezi project, like many other projects in Matabeleland, was stalled by lack of funding due to sanctions that MDC-T invited.
"We will not sit back and watch MDC-T pretending to be champions over what does not belong to them. Let them come out in the open and own up to the troublesome sanctions that they fathered."
Governor Masuku said when MDC-T's Minister of Water Resources Development and Management Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo came to office, she explained to him the objectives of the Mtshabezi project and how it was meant to boost food production through irrigation projects.
Matabeleland South is an arid province and irrigation farming is viewed as the lasting solution to food shortages.
"It is unfortunate that some people do not want to work with Governors but as I speak Gwanda and Umzingwane rural district councils are looking for investors to boost irrigation using water from that dam.
"Yes the dam can assist Bulawayo with water but the major issue is that it was set up for food production in areas such as Mtshazo," said Governor Masuku.
"I am also disappointed that out of seven openings that the pipeline was supposed to have only two were created. I asked the engineers about that and showed them the original plan, which showed that Umzingwane was supposed to have five openings and two for Gwanda."
Governor Mathema weighed in saying Dr Sipepa Nkomo was one of the celebrated MDC-T failures in terms of provision of water especially in Bulawayo.
"Dr Nkomo has failed to do his job since he got into office. Really MDC-T cannot claim any credit on that initiative. They have never started anything of their own. All MDC-T ministers found Zanu-PF projects intact and they were supposed to complete them but failed. We have seen Dr Sipepa Nkomo repeatedly announcing his failure in the water projects and what is there for him to celebrate now?," asked Governor Mathema.
On Tuesday former Umzingwane district administrator William Dhewa, who was one of the people who witnessed the project when it started, accused MDC-T of trying to reap where it did not sow.
Dhewa is vying for the National Assembly seat for Umzingwane on a Zanu-PF ticket and would square off with Ms Nomalanga Khumalo who has reportedly been imposed by Mr Tsvangirai.
The former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, defected from the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC, and filed her nomination papers on an MDC-T ticket despite spirited resistance from MDC-T structures.
She did not even go through primary elections.
Officials from the Ministry of Water Resources Development and Management have said electricity connection to Mtshabezi pipeline project has been completed and ready for official commissioning.
The laying of the 41km pipeline from Mtshabezi Dam to Umzingwane Dam was completed early this year but the city could not draw water from the dam at full throttle due to lack of electricity.
Engineers had to resort to using generators, which did not have the capacity to power the pumps continuously.
Responding to reports that MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was expected to officially commission the Mtshabezi pipeline project tomorrow and use it as a campaign tool, Bulawayo Governor Cain Mathema and his Matabeleland South counterpart, Angeline Masuku said they would not sit back and allow MDC-T to mislead Zimbabweans.
"MDC-T should not play with people's minds over something that is known by everyone. The pipeline project was initiated by Vice-President Mujuru when she was the Minister of Water in the 1990s.
"MDC-T should not seek credit ngento engesiyo. If they want votes they should initiate their own projects instead of riding on other people's ideas.
That project is a brain child of Zanu-PF's brilliant leaders," said Governor Masuku. "The project cannot belong to MDC-T just because of the Inclusive Government. Zimbabweans know that the Mtshabezi project, like many other projects in Matabeleland, was stalled by lack of funding due to sanctions that MDC-T invited.
"We will not sit back and watch MDC-T pretending to be champions over what does not belong to them. Let them come out in the open and own up to the troublesome sanctions that they fathered."
Governor Masuku said when MDC-T's Minister of Water Resources Development and Management Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo came to office, she explained to him the objectives of the Mtshabezi project and how it was meant to boost food production through irrigation projects.
Matabeleland South is an arid province and irrigation farming is viewed as the lasting solution to food shortages.
"It is unfortunate that some people do not want to work with Governors but as I speak Gwanda and Umzingwane rural district councils are looking for investors to boost irrigation using water from that dam.
"Yes the dam can assist Bulawayo with water but the major issue is that it was set up for food production in areas such as Mtshazo," said Governor Masuku.
Governor Mathema weighed in saying Dr Sipepa Nkomo was one of the celebrated MDC-T failures in terms of provision of water especially in Bulawayo.
"Dr Nkomo has failed to do his job since he got into office. Really MDC-T cannot claim any credit on that initiative. They have never started anything of their own. All MDC-T ministers found Zanu-PF projects intact and they were supposed to complete them but failed. We have seen Dr Sipepa Nkomo repeatedly announcing his failure in the water projects and what is there for him to celebrate now?," asked Governor Mathema.
On Tuesday former Umzingwane district administrator William Dhewa, who was one of the people who witnessed the project when it started, accused MDC-T of trying to reap where it did not sow.
Dhewa is vying for the National Assembly seat for Umzingwane on a Zanu-PF ticket and would square off with Ms Nomalanga Khumalo who has reportedly been imposed by Mr Tsvangirai.
The former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, defected from the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC, and filed her nomination papers on an MDC-T ticket despite spirited resistance from MDC-T structures.
She did not even go through primary elections.
Officials from the Ministry of Water Resources Development and Management have said electricity connection to Mtshabezi pipeline project has been completed and ready for official commissioning.
The laying of the 41km pipeline from Mtshabezi Dam to Umzingwane Dam was completed early this year but the city could not draw water from the dam at full throttle due to lack of electricity.
Engineers had to resort to using generators, which did not have the capacity to power the pumps continuously.
Source - Zimpapers
