Presidential borehole scheme set to revive small-scale horticulture projects

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By Elvis Dumba

Zvimba North – Women and young people will be able to start or revive small-scale horticulture projects through the Presidential Borehole scheme.

The scheme will see solar boreholes being availed for every village head in the country.

This was revealed by Local Government Deputy Minister and Zvimba North Constituency lawmaker Marian Chombo.

Chombo was responding to safe portable water challenges in Zvimba North Constituency.

During an interaction meeting with ZANU PF branch members for Zvimba Ward 30 in Zvimba North Constituency, Chombo said the government is leaving no stone unturned during its quest to ensure that every person has the right to safe drinking water.

“As the government, we are aware of the water challenges you are facing and our visionary, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has introduced a Presidential borehole scheme that will ensure that every village head has a borehole in his village as the government wants every person to get easy access to water,” she said.

Chombo said the presidential borehole scheme has come at an opportune time when small horticulture and garden projects are revived.

She told party supporters who gathered at various meeting points that the government’s devolution program approach will see the speedy cascading of developmental projects in communities.

“Be prepared as women and young people to get involved in small horticulture projects as the new dispensation led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa is using the constitutional provision of devolution funds in ensuring that communities get the requisite support for community development as you all contribute to the country’s vision 2030 of an upper middle-income economy where no place or person is left behind?” she said.

ZANU PF Tashinga District Chairperson and Zvimba District Rural Council Ward 30 Councilor Ackim Akim said the farming community of Kanduna, and Madziwe among others have been facing acute water shortages with people resorting to polluted water bodies.

“We are excited for the various government initiatives to ensure we get safe drinking water as currently, our people rely on unprotected water bodies such as rivers and dams for drinking water,” he said.

Councilor Akim said they are concerned with the health and safety of communities as the area is littered with artisanal small-scale miners who during their mining activities pollute the water bodies such as rivers.

“We will be glad for the boreholes as our community has many gold panners who end up polluting the same rivers our people rely on for all their water needs. People downstream might not be aware that mining chemicals have been deposited in the water upstream, posing health dangers to our people. We are glad that the government through various channels that includes MP Chombo and local authorities are coming up with borehole projects to allow our people access to safe drinking water,” he said.