Former First Lady, Grace Mugabe’s take over of Mazowe Dam has been reversed by the Government. The dam was previously under the contr...
Former First Lady, Grace Mugabe’s take over of Mazowe Dam
has been reversed by the Government.
The dam was previously under the control of Mazowe Citrus
(60 percent) and Government (40 percent).
But in 2014 Grace took control of a significant chunk of Zimbabwe Stock
Exchange-listed agro-producer Interfresh’s Mazowe Citrus Estate, expanding an
empire that already includes mining claims and farms.
According to a Government Gazette published Friday, the
Environment, Water and Climate Ministry now controls the water body.
Environment Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said use of
the water in the dam, built in 1918, would henceforth be subject to approval by
the Zimbabwe National Water Authority.
“It is hereby notified for general information that the
Minister of Environment, Water and Climate has taken over the maintenance of
Mazowe Dam … to ensure equitable access, effective and efficient water resource
allocation on resettled farmers in terms of section 6 (1)(c) of the Water Act
(Chapter 20:24), of the dam.
“The Zimbabwe National Water Authority shall enter into
agreement with individual farmers who want to access the water for irrigation
purposes and any inquiries on how to access the water for irrigation purposes
and any inquiries on how to access the required water volumes for irrigation
purposes can be made to the catchment manager’s office.”
Prior to Mrs Mugabe’s takeover, the dam attracted fishers,
rowers, swimmers and canoers.
The seizure and effective privatisation of the dam violated
Section 4 of the Water Act, which in part says: “No person shall be entitled to
ownership of any water in Zimbabwe and no water shall be stored, abstracted,
apportioned, controlled, diverted, used or in any way dealt with except in
accordance with this Act.”
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