PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected in Beitbridge anytime soon, although exact dates and finer details of the visit have not been disclosed.
BY OWN CORRESPONDENT
An official in the Local Government ministry, Jahson Mugodzwa, said preparations for the presidential visit were underway.
“We are making arrangements for the President’s visit as you may be aware, he will be coming,” Mugodzwa said, offering no further details.
He was speaking to about 60 Beitbridge residents, including heads of government departments at the handover ceremony of earthworm-powered biotechnology toilets and a waste recycling plant.
It is, however, widely believed Mnangagwa will meet farmers in the cattle-rich zone, who were expected to take the lead in command livestock.
Sources said Mnangagwa would meet farmers at the underutilised Zhovhe Dam, Zimbabwe’s 11th largest water reservoir.
Resettled and white citrus farmers feed from the dam, touted as one that could turn Beitbridge and Limpopo province in South Africa’s cropping fortunes.
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Although the Kuwait government was reported to have released
$25 million towards the construction of the $60 million water pipeline to feed some Beitbridge communal areas last year, work has not started and Mnangagwa is expected to touch on that and other issues.
The President is also expected to officiate at the official launch of the TelOne optic fibre linking with South Africa.
At yesterday’s ceremony, Environmental Affairs department board member Felix Moyo said the project was testimony of his organisation’s endeavour to better the lives of people.
The toilets, the brainchild of Zimbabwe Earthworms Farms, were an answer to burst sewers, as their system does not allow solid waste to flow into sewer lines, thereby decongesting sewers.
The waste is processed at the site of disposal by earthworms, while water was recycled for re-use in toilets.
Beitbridge municipality partnered the Zimbabwe Earthworm Farms on the pilot project.
The project has nine houses, whose owners testified reduced water bills and extra cash raised from selling the worms.
Moyo encouraged local authorities to urge residents to turn to solar and other environment friendly modes of energy production.
“These methods are cheap and reliable and they improve lives,” he said.
Beitbridge acting mayor Showa Moyo said her council had embraced the new development.
“It is not harmful to the environment and we have adopted it,” she said.
The new toilet system was expected to relieve close to 5 000 households, who currently use the bush system.
