BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE
GOVERNMENT has moved to assess the value of property likely to be affected by the expansion of Gwayi-Shangani Dam in Lubimbi, Binga, with a view to compensate the victims.
Around 2 422 people in Lubimbi are likely to be relocated.
Members of the community said an evaluation team met village heads at Lubimbi Primary School this week.
“A team of 10 people, among them engineers from the dam site visited us. They briefed the village heads about the issue, and acted in a polite and professional manner. The main agenda was evaluation of the project,” a community member told Southern Eye.
“The community was in panic mode as it felt that government was going to commission phase one of the Zambezi Water Project in December this year when they have not yet resettled people.”
Community members said they were advised that compensation for displacement would be paid in United States dollars.
“They visited our local school, and we spoke to the leader of the team, who told us that compensation would be paid in United States dollars according to the developments that one would have made. He said those with fruit trees would benefit more,” the community member said.
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Lubimbi councillor Chrispen Munkuli confirmed the development yesterday.
“We have also received a delegation from the Local Government ministry, which came to evaluate the infrastructure at Lubimbi. They began their work on Monday this week,” Munkuli said.
Dam committee chairperson Edmond Sibanda said the team was evaluating the community’s assets.
“They are evaluating the assets that the communities have, which includes all the immovable assets owned by individuals,” he said.
Binga district co-ordinator Farai Marinyame said government had crafted a mitigation strategy for the villagers.
“The government is on course. We crafted the provincial mitigation strategy,” Marinyame said.
However, he could not be drawn into confirming the currency to be used to compensate the villagers.
The Lubimbi villagers have been leading a nomadic life after they were initially relocated from their land in the Madilo area between Shangani and Kana rivers in 1945 to pave way for a Cold Storage Company project.
During the construction of the Kariba Dam around 1956, another group that came from the Sinamatela area was also relocated to facilitate the establishment of the Hwange National Park.
Follow Praisemore on Twitter @TPraisemore
