The Sunday Mail
Theseus Shambare
ABOUT 10 000 village business units (VBUs) are set to be in operation by year-end under a new initiative geared towards accelerating development of strategic ventures meant to empower rural communities.
In a recent interview after touring the Mahwite Village Business Unit, under Chief Mapanzure in Midlands province, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said: “In addition to agro-ecological tailoring to ensure that the right crop is grown in the right region, as we have seen here in Mapanzure area, where the maize crop failed completely but sorghum is thriving, the Presidential Rural Development Programme is being accelerated to establish 10 000 VBUs by end of the year.
“This Mahwite Village Business Unit is an example of that resilient response, where the community members are able to put in beans, maize and any other vegetables to supplement what they receive from social welfare.”
He said the ministry was working with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to ensure food and nutrition security in rural communities through the establishment of VBUs.
“The VBUs should be able to generate income for a minimum of 50 households,” said Dr Masuka.
“On top of that, the members will be able to get the maximum benefit of nutrition from consuming their produce as well.”
Beneficiaries of the Mahwite Village Business Unit are growing vegetables, green mealies and beans.
They also plan to venture into aquaculture.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo said: “There are two sides to eliminating hunger. The first side is through the resilient way of growing food under VBUs.
“Then the second side of fighting hunger is when we source grain from the GMB (Grain Marketing Board) and even from abroad, which we then distribute to vulnerable households.
“We are happy with this collaboration and we hope we will achieve what we want, which is food security for our people.”
The Government and the World Food Programme (WFP), he said, had set aside enough grain to distribute to food-insecure households in 63 districts under the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme.
WFP Zimbabwe deputy country director Ms Christine Mendes commended the Government for building resilience in communities, “particularly in the face of a changing and challenging climate”.
“This must be through various anticipatory action and resilience-building initiatives, which include improving access to water assets and enhancing climate-smart agriculture with drought-resistant crop varieties,” she said.
. . . 127 units operational
Nokutenda Tobve
Government has drilled more than 2 700 boreholes countrywide to anchor the development of village business units (VBUs) that are being established under the Presidential Rural Development Programme.
To date, 127 VBUs and 33 school business units have been set up.
VBUs are registered rural development enterprises meant to boost economic activity and improve livelihoods in rural communities.
They are typically one-hectare plots equipped with irrigation systems, greenhouses and other agricultural infrastructure, where villagers engage in horticulture, with the produce sold to ready markets.
The VBUs programme was launched by President Mnangagwa in Jinjika village, Mangwe district, Matabeleland South province, in 2021.
It is envisaged that up to 1,8 million households will benefit from the programme by 2025. Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said: “The Presidential Rural Development Programme is progressing well with the drilling of boreholes and establishment of village business units.
“The boreholes are the anchor component for the establishment of village business units, which typically include a solar-powered borehole, water storage tanks, fishponds, a one-hectare drip technology horticulture garden and communal water points.
“To date, a total of 2 703 boreholes have been drilled across the provinces, with 127 village business units having been set up and fully functional.
“Under the programme, 33 school business units have been established, together with six youth business units.”
The Government has already mapped the 35 000 villages in the country and plans to expedite the borehole drilling programme to ensure that they all have clean, safe drinking water points that are solar-powered.
