By Dr Kenneth Kodero DEPARTMENT OF RURAL AND URBAN PLANNING UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

ZIMBABWE S GROWTH POINTS A Compendiium off IInffrasttructture Proviisiion (Fiinall Drafftt) A reporr rtt prepared forf r the t Indusst I tri iial ll Devvel llopmentt Corporat ti iion off Zi iimbabwe Li iimi iited By Dr Kenneth Kodero DEPARTMENT OF RURAL AND URBAN PLANNING UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE August 2005

Table of Contents Section I Introduction... 3 Section II Methodology... 4 Section II Methodology... 5 Section III Research Findings... 6 3.1 Mashonaland Central Province... 6 Background... 6 Infrastructure Provision... 6 Roads... 6 Railway... 7 Water... 7 Sanitation... 7 Power... 7 Telephony... 8 3.2 Mashonaland East Province... 9 Background... 9 Infrastructure Provision... 10 Roads... 10 Railway... 10 Water... 10 Sanitation... 11 Power... 11 Telecom... 11 3.3 Mashonaland West Province... 12 BACKGROUND... 12 RESOURCE BASE... 12 INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION... 12 Roads... 12 Railway... 13 Water... 13 Sanitation... 13 Power... 13 Telecom... 13 3.4 Matabeleland North Province... 14 BACKGROUND... 14 RESOURCE BASE... 14 Infrastructure Provision... 14 Roads... 14 Railway... 15 Water... 15 Sanitation... 15 Power... 15 Telecom... 15 3.5 Masvingo Province... 17 Background... 17 1

Infrastructure Provision... 18 Roads... 18 Railway... 18 Water... 18 Sanitation... 18 Power... 19 Telecom... 19 3.6 Manicaland Province... 20 Background... 20 Infrastructure Provision... 20 Roads... 21 Railway... 21 Water... 21 Sanitation... 21 Power... 21 Telecom... 21 3.7 Matabeleland South Province... 22 Background... 22 Infrastructure Provision... 22 Roads... 22 Railway... 22 Water... 22 Sanitation... 22 Power... 22 Telecom... 22 3.8 Midlands Province... 23 Background... 23 Infrastructure Provision... 23 Roads... 23 Railway... 23 Water... 24 Sanitation... 24 Power... 24 Telecom... 24 Section IV Conclusion... 25 Annex... 26 2

Section I Introduction This report presents findings of a National Growth Point Study conducted between January and February of 2005. It is the result of a partnership between the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe Limited (IDC) and the Department of Rural and Urban Planning (DRUP), University of Zimbabwe (UZ). The partnership entailed DRUP staff and students collecting information on infrastructure provision and services from 33 Growth Points (GPs) in eight provinces of Zimbabwe, namely Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, and Midlands. Table 1 shows the list of GPs covered in the 2005 survey. Dr. Kenneth K Odero coordinated the study, and jointly with Mr. Innocent Chirisa, authored this report. Table 1: List of Growth Points Surveyed in 2005 No Growth Point District Province 1 RUWANGWE Nyanga Manicaland 2 SIAKOBVU Kariba Mashonaland West 3 MUBAIRA Chegutu 4 MADZIWA Shamva Mashonaland Central 5 MUZARABANI Centenary 6 NZVIMBO Mazowe 7 JURU Goromonzi Mashonaland East 8 KOTWA Mudzi 9 MAHUSEKWA Marondera 10 MUREHWA Murehwa 11 MUTAWATAWA UMP 12 WEDZA Wedza 13 CHIBI Chivi Masvingo 14 JERERA Zaka 15 MUPANDAWANA Gutu 16 NEMANWA Masvingo 17 RUTENGA Mwenezi 18 NYIKA Bikita 19 JOTSHOLO Lupane Matabeleland North 20 LUPANE 21 NKAYI Nkayi 22 NTABAZINDUNA Bubi 23 TSHOLOTSHO Tsholotsho 24 ESIBOMVU Umzingwane Matabeleland South 25 MAWEBENI 26 MANAMA Gwanda 27 MAPHISA Matobo 28 SILALABUWA Insiza 29 GOKWE Gokwe South Midlands 30 INSUKAMINI Gweru 31 MABASA Zvishavane 32 MATAGA Mberengwa 33 ZHOMBE Kwekwe Source: IDC, 2004 3

In 1995, IDC conducted a survey of infrastructure and activities in 68 growth points and district service centres in Zimbabwe. Out of that study an inventory of physical and social infrastructure available in growth points and service centres was prepared. The report presented data on location, demography, retail sector, housing and land infrastructure, sewerage, water, post and telecommunications, and grain bulk storage facilities. In order to update the 1995 report, another survey was carried out in 2002 that built an inventory of infrastructure available in growth points. As a sequel to these two studies, and in order to upraise the existing situation in GPs, IDC commissioned another study in 2004, which this report presents. The exercise entailed detailed examination of the characteristic of existing infrastructure provision in 33 GPs. Service provision in the growth points as well as resource endowment of their surrounding region were also covered and are presented in the present report. The rest of this report is organised as follows: After this introduction and background the methodology used in carrying out the 2005 National Growth Points Study is presented in the next section. Syntheses of findings are then presented in Section 3. Section 4 makes recommendations for a broad based, agro-led rural industrialization development strategy centred on growth points (refer to Box 1). Data of existing infrastructure and services derived from the survey is appended as annex to the report. BOX 1 Research Execution and Synthesis Findings Survey results showing what is on the ground Existing stock of resources Infrastructure Services Institutions Syntheses and Analyses Data processing Report writing Recommendations Sustained local and regional development Effective policies and strategies based on sound evidence and analysis 4

Section II Methodology The 33 growth points covered in the 2005 study were identified by IDC. They are spread out in 31 districts in eight provinces. A survey questionnaire, largely drawn from the 2002 survey, was revised and used for the census. The instrument was divided into parts to capture information on location, housing, water supply, sewage works, road transport and railway infrastructure, power supply, post and telecommunication, health infrastructure, recreational facilities, raw materials, and business activities. Students from the Department of Rural and Urban Planning administered the questionnaires. A total of 23 students drawn from Part III, Part IV and the graduate (MSc) class participated in the survey. They were recruited after responding positively to an invitation posted on the department s notice board. The survey process was carried out in stages. The first stage involved field trials during which the questionnaire instrument was piloted in 2 GPs, Mataga in Mberengwa District (Midlands Province) and Gokwe in Gokwe South (Matabeleland South Province). This served to obtain first-hand information about the field conditions. This knowledge was useful during the oneday training of the enumerators. The two graduate students who took part in the pilot assisted the Coordinator facilitate training of interviewers. The next stage after training of enumerators was fieldwork. Each student was paid a reasonable amount of money to cover his or her transport, meals and accommodation during the exercise. On average, two students were assigned three GPs closest to their home area. In addition, they were each given a letter of introduction, which they used to set up interviews. The Coordinator supervised the data collection exercise during visits to Midlands, Matabeleland North Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces. This stage went on smoothly except for some delay in obtaining information from the GPs. Some of the data not readily available in growth points were obtained at provincial head offices of relevant Government Ministries. The data from the completed questionnaires were then entered in Microsoft Access database. Preliminary analysis has been carried out using Microsoft Access, Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). There was unexpected delay in capturing the data as the assistant hired to carry out the exercise only entered part of the information. This necessitated repeat data entry, an exercise, which though time consuming, provided an opportunity to probe and clean the data. It must also be pointed out that the quality of data resulting from this and similar processes is not entirely a reflection of design and execution of the study, important though these might be. Equally true and perhaps more important are numerous extenuating factors beyond the control of the research team. A case in point is the dynamic of increasing restrictions in information sharing, a consideration often understated in many research endeavours. 5

Section III Research Findings 3.1 Mashonaland Central Province Background Three growth points Madziwa (Shamva District), Muzarabani (Centenary District) and Nzvimbo (Mazowe District) were included in the survey of Mashonaland Central Province, which is composed of 7 districts, namely, Bindura, Centenary, Guruve, Mazowe, Shamva, Mount Darwin and Rushinga. The province stretches over the north and north east of Zimbabwe. To the north it shares a common border with Mozambique and Zambia, to the south and east Mashonaland East Province and to the west Mashonaland West Province. The total area of the Province is 27 284 square kilometres. The total population of the province is 998 265 (CSO, 2002). Natural resources (i.e., agriculture and mining) form the main economic base of the Province. Mashonaland East has about 27 different types of minerals. Some of the minerals are barites, beryl, calcite, cobalt, chromium, kaolin, limestone, mica, lithium, copper, corundum, nickel, platinum, pyrite, talc, tungsten, gold, dolomite, garnet, tin and vanadium. Gold, chrome, nickel, cobalt and copper are some of the minerals mined in the Province where the ore occur the northern extreme of the Great Dyke. The Province lies in Natural Regions II, III and IV. The main economic activities in the Province are crop and livestock production. The Province produces maize, wheat, cotton, virginia and burley tobacco, sunflower, groundnuts, sorghum, barley, soya beans and millet. Livestock production includes cattle, sheep, goats and poultry. While these produce serve as an attraction for agro-processing industries in the region, and the province is rich in mineral resources, only a few minerals are being mined. Also, it is clear from the survey that manufacturing is relatively undeveloped. Infrastructure Provision Roads Growth points in Mashonaland Central Province are serviced by a network of gravel roads of various km lengths: Nzvimbo (8), Muzarabani (15) and Madziwa (9). The quality of gravel roads is generally good with Muzarabani, where only 5 percent of the gravel roads are said to be in good condition, being the exception. Figure 1 Proportion of Gravel Roads in Good Condition 100 80 60 40 20 0 Nzvimbo Muzarabani Madziva 6

Source: Growth Point Study, 2005 All the three growth points are linked to other lower and higher order centres both in Mashonaland Central Province and beyond through a network of gravel and tarred roads. The responsibility for managing road transport assets in the Province is divided between the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MoTC), the various Rural District Councils (RDCs) and the District Development Fund (DDF). The Department of Roads (DoR) is responsible for the construction and maintenance of state roads (i.e. regional, primary and secondary roads) whiles the RDC roads (i.e. tertiary or feeder and access roads) are the responsibility of RDCs and the DDF. 1 Railway There is no direct connectivity by railway to any of the GPs in the province: Of the three GPs, Nzvimbo is located nearest to a railway line, some 23 km at Glendale. Muzarabani, which is 157 km away from the railway line at Concession, is the farthest. Madziva is located about 37 km from the railway line at Bindura. The railway network in Mashonaland Central comprises 97,1kms and 9 stations or sidings. The Paper Order System of Train Working operates the line. The track consists of continuously welded 40kg/m rail on steel sleepers. Line operations are based on maximum trainloads of 2 000 tonnes (Mt Hampden to Selby) and 1 100 tonnes (Selby to Shamva) using vacuum braked wagons. The motive power used for this branch is tandem D.E. 2 s and triple D.E. 7 s. The infrastructure is generally in good condition and has ample capacity to accept a significant increase in traffic. Water In Nzvimbo and Muzarabani where information is available, average water availability in dam in May/June is 70 percent. No water rationing was reported in the over the last five years in the three GPs, which suggest adequate water supply. Mashonaland Central is part of the catchments area of the Zambezi River. The Province is within the water catchment areas of Angwa and Manyame Rivers. The potential surface water is about 2,020,094 million cubic meters. There do exist dam sites on the Mazowe, Shavahowe, Nyagui, Chikove and Nyadire rivers. Findings from the survey reveal additional (borehole) water resources three operational in Nzvimbo and one each in Muzarabani and Madziva. Sanitation Septic tank is the main type of sewer system available in the three GPs. In Muzarabani and Madziva the capacity of the sewer system is adequate, but inadequate in Nzvimbo. Power All three GPs are supplied by electricity via mains. Muzarabani and Madziva have generator and gas as additional sources of energy supply. Only Muzarabani reported the use of solar as a source of energy. 1 DDF roads section constructs and maintains roads in Communal Areas, Resettlement Areas, and Small Scale Commercial Farming Areas, all located within the boundaries of RDCs. 7

Telephony The province has 9 telephone exchanges located at the various centres, 2 including the three GPs reported here. As Table 2 shows, the average exchange capacity in the 3 GPs studied is 800 lines. Private (residential) consumers accounts for 84 percent of existing fixed telephone lines while commercial, institutional and industrial sectors share the remaining 16 percent. Demand as reflected in the telephone waiting list [residential] ranges from 71 to 120 applicants in Nzvimbo and Muzarabani respectively. Madziva, which has the highest number of fixed telephone lines, also has the lowest number of residential applicants (35) in the waiting list. Table 2 Capacity of exchange for mainlines Growth Point Number of Fixed Telephone Lines Nzvimbo 600 Muzarabani 800 Madziva 1000 Av. 800 Source: Growth Point Study, 2005 Other Telecom Facilities and Services In addition to fixed telephone lines, there are other telecom services available in GPs including mobile phone reception (Nzvimbo and Madziva), ZimPost, POSB, SpeedPost and Internet access. Muzarabani has regular supply of newspapers. 2 There are telephone exchanges in Bindura, Glendale, Concession, Mazowe, Mvurwi, Mt Darwin and Shamva. Centenary and Guruve both have manual exchanges. 8

3.2 Mashonaland East Province Background According to the 2002 Census, the total population of the Mashonaland East Province was 1 125 355. There are nine administrative districts in the province namely Chikomba, Goromonzi, Marondera, Mudzi, Murehwa, Mutoko, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe (UMP), Seke and Wedza. Six out of eight growth points in the province were covered in the survey. These are: Juru (Goromonzi District), Kotwa (Mudzi District), Mahusekwa (Marondera District), Murehwa (Murehwa District), Mutawatawa (Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe District), and Wedza (Wedza District). Mashonaland East lies in agro-ecological regions IIA to IV. Given such wide ranging agroecology, the province is suitable for intensive crop farming, dairy horticulture, and the production of small grains. According to the 2000 Census of Communal Land Irrigation Schemes conducted by the CSO and Arex (CSO, 2001), the province produced 139 tons of unshelled groundnuts representing about 16 percent of the national total. Other crops produced in the region included potatoes, onions, peas, tomatoes, paprika and other vegetables. The quantities produced are shown below Crops Produced by Volume on Communal Land Irrigation Schemes in Mashonaland East Province, 2000 Crop Crop Reaped (t) Percent of National Total Paprika 25 29.8 Potatoes 48 66.7 Peas 89 55.3 Groundnuts (unshelled) 139 16 Onions 330 55.7 Tomatoes 780 15.7 Source: CSO, September 2001 As the table above shows, there is potential for the development of agro-processing industries for crops such as potatoes, peas and onions in which the region s share of the national output is significant. Other crops produced in the regions include fruits such as mangoes, avocadoes, mazhanje, masau, matamba, among others. While production figures for these fruits could not be verified, further research is required to establish existing and potential capacity in the province. In addition to fruits and vegetables, the economic base of Mashonaland East comprises livestock products (beef, poultry, pork, goat, and sheep); minerals (black granite, kyanite, gold 3, tantalite, manganese, and diamond); 4 forest products (mahogany, baobab, eucalyptus, honey, mushrooms, tsvubvu); fisheries (breams, matemba, tilapia and cat fish), wildlife resources (herbs, game meat and trophy); and tourist products (e.g. Bangauya Cave, Nyatanga Game Park and Chiunye Cultural Centre in Mudzi; Murehwe Caves, Rock Paintings, Cultural House and Craglea Game Park in Murehwa; Sunungukai Conservation Area, Nyatanga Game Park and Zvirigudzi Falls in Mutawatawa; Imire Game Park in Hwedza; and Matsvitsi and Nyamudira Caves in Marondera). One of the largest concentrations of mineral resources in the province is in Mutoko District, 3 Gold is mined in Acturus Mine, Goromonzi District. There is reported open cast mining in some parts of Hwedza mountain The rest of the gold found in the region is alluvial (e.g. in Murehwa, Hwedza and UMP). 4 Tantalite and diamonds are reported to be still under survey in UMP and Marondera districts respectively. 9

renowned for its non-metals (granite and kyanite). The rock bearing granite is, however, exported outside the district for cutting and polishing thereby denying the district and region valuable income and jobs. Infrastructure Provision Roads The total length of roads within the growth points range from 1 to 6km (tarred) and 4 to 14km (gravel). Road densities also vary from 0.25 and 0.46 on the lower end to 0.5 and 4.0 on the upper limit for tarred and gravel roads respectively. The conditions of internal (gravel) roads in Mutawatawa, Mahusekwa and Hwedza is 55 to 65 percent good, while in the remaining growth points (Juru, Kotwa and Murehwa) the gravel road are reported to be generally in poor condition. Railway There is no railroad link to any of the growth points in Mashonaland East Province. On average, the nearest railroad node is 69.4 km from a growth point. Actual distances vary as shown on the table below, Mahusekwa being closest to a railway line node while Kotwa in Mudzi District the farthest. Nearest Railway Link to Growth Points in Mashonaland East Province Growth Point Nearest Railway Line Node Distance to Railway Node Mahusekwa Marondera 31 Juru Harare 50 Murehwa Macheke 60 Hwedza Marondera 87 Mutawatawa Macheke 112 Kotwa Macheke 189 Source: Growth Points Study, 2005 Water The dominant sources of water supply to growth points in the province are dams. As Figure 2 shows, water availability in May/June is variable with Mahusekwa, which is situated in a wet and high rainfall zone, having maximum (99 percent) water availability. Kotwa and Hwedza, which are in relatively drier Natural Region IV, have lower water availability. 10

Figure 2 Average Water Availability in Dams in May/June 100 80 60 40 20 0 Murehwa Mahusekwa Hwedza Mutawatawa Kotwa Source: Growth Point Study, 2005 Sanitation Murehwa and Kotwa, which have both reticulated and septic tank systems, are the only growth point reported with adequate sewerage. The former has in addition a blair system The remaining four, which are serviced by sceptic tanks (Juru, Mutawatawa and Hwedza) or sceptic tanks and blair toilets (Mahusekwa) have reportedly inadequate sewer system. Power All the growth points are connected to mains. The table below shows the installed capacity by growth point. In addition, Hwedza and Juru have generator and gas as alternative sources of energy. Surprisingly, solar is not a source of energy for domestic or industrial use. Electricity: Installed Capacity by Growth Point, Mashonaland East, 2005 Growth Point Capacity of Electricity Available (kva) Mahusekwa 525 Juru 4900 Murehwa 3000 Hwedza 1500 Mutawatawa 2000 Kotwa 3000 Source: Growth Points Study, 2005 Telecom All the growth points surveyed have telephone exchange services. At the time of the survey in February 2005 the exchange at Marondera had the largest mainline capacity (8,256) followed by Murehwa (2000) and Hwedza (1,000). But TelOne is reported to be in the process of expanding the Murehwa exchange that would see the District getting additional 230 000 telephone lines (The Herald, 27 June 2005). This would shoot Murehwa telephone exchange to the top in the province. Of the surveyed growth points in Mashonaland East Province, Murehwa is the best served in terms of availability of all other telecom facilities and services, including ZimPost, POSB, TelOne, NetOne, ComOne, Econet, Telcel and Internet access. 11

3.3 Mashonaland West Province BACKGROUND Mashonaland West Province had a total population of 1 222 583 in 2002 according to the preliminary Population Census Report of 2002. Administratively, the province is made up of six districts namely Chegutu, Hurungwe, Kadoma, Kariba, Makonde and Zvimba. The survey covered two GPs, Mubaira and Siakobvu in Chegutu and Kariba Districts respectively. Mubaira growth point is situated in Mhondoro. The area is rich in agriculture and mining. There is wheat farming in this area and mining of gold and platinum, and there is an aerodrome at the growth point. Siakobvu growth point which is within the Zambezi escarpment has much of its activities emanating from the sale of wildlife recourses. The undulating terrains makes farming possible in the area as well as attracting scenic viewers with its ever stretching mountains. Lake Kariba lies about 70km from the growth point. In general, the area is seen as lagging behind in terms of developmental. RESOURCE BASE The Province has about 44 different types of minerals. Some of the minerals are asbestos, antinomy, marble, quarts, chromium, magnesite, mercury, mica, molybdenum, copper, diatomite, dolomite, iron, kaolin, limestone, nickel, platinum, pyrites, tantalum, tin, tungsten, coal, gold and aquamarine. Although the province is rich in mineral deposits, the mining sector is still underdeveloped. Manufacturing industries are located in the four towns of Norton, Chegutu, Kadoma and Chinhoyi. The main products are textiles, dairy products, paper, plastics and glass. The Province has also a number of designated wildlife areas including the Dande and Mupfurudzi Safari areas. There is also plenty of wildlife in the Kariba area. The Province falls in Natural Regions II-V. It is part of the catchment area of the Zambezi River, hence besides the Zambezi with large quantities of water there are other big perennial rivers such as Ruya, Musengezi, Hoya, Manyame, Angwa and Kadzi. Most of these rivers can potentially be dammed. In addition to about 30 small and medium sized dams, large dams exist in Mazvikadei, Clifton, Manyame, Claw-Gates, Ngezi and Mhondoro. Investment in dam maintenance and operation is, however, negligible resulting in capacity underutilisation. However, the Province has great potential for the development of agriculture, mining, tourism as well as mineral and agrobased manufacturing industries. Agriculture plays a leading role in the province. There is both extensive and intensive farming. In large commercial farming areas, virginia and burley tobacco, maize, cotton, wheat, barley and groundnuts are grown. Cotton and maize are the main crops produced by communal farmers. The Province is also engaged in livestock production, especially dairy and beef cattle. Fishing is carried out in Lake Kariba and there is further potential for investment in the sector. INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION Roads There s about 4km length of gravel road in Mubaira representing a density of 2.56 per square kilometre, and 1.5km of tarred road. The condition of these roads is generally good. By contrast, 12

Siakobvu, which has a road (gravel) density of 3.47 per square kilometre, has only 29 percent of the gravel roads in good condition and no tarred road. Railway The nearest railroad road link to Siakobvu is at Lion s Den, some 210 km away. Mubaira is 60 km from the nearest railway line in Chegutu. This means that in the short term all bulk freight must of necessity depend on road transport. Water There are three operational boreholes currently supplying the Mubaira growth point: Five more are planned for drilling. While there is currently no dam supplying water to the growth point, one with a capacity of 400 000 mega litres is planned. Similarly, Siakobvu is supplied with two water springs. Two boreholes are planned for construction with one (privately owned) having been commissioned. Given the existing water demand and supply situation, both growth points face water rationing during the driest months of the year. Sanitation Both Mubaira and Siakobvu have functioning blair toilets and sceptic tanks. In addition, Siakobvu growth point is serviced by a reticulated system with a capacity of 2 cubic meters per month. The level of installed sewerage services in both growth points was found to be inadequate and require augmenting. Power Both growth points are supplied by electricity from the main grid. Current installed capacity is 900 kilowatts for Mubaira and 700 kilowatts for Siakobvu. The latter growth point also has gas and generator as complementary sources of power supply. However, the plentiful sunshine available to the two growth points studied is not being utilised. At present, there is not even a single institution, home or business using renewable solar energy as a source of power. Telecom Communication in the surveyed growth points is generally constrained due to low teledensity. On average less than half of properties in both growth points have telephone lines. This is partly due to the fact that there are is no telephone exchange facility in either growth point. But of the two growth point, Mubaira enjoys relatively more telecom services such as TelOne, ZimPost and POSB. None of the above is available at Siakobvu. However, while the latter has Internet access, it has no mobile network reception, a factor attributable to its distance from principle urban centres. 13

3.4 Matabeleland North Province BACKGROUND In Matabeleland North Province the 2005 survey covered five growth points in four of the seven districts. These were Jotsholo and Lupane in Lupane District, Nkayi in Nkayi District, Ntabazinduna in Bubi District, and Tsholotsho in Tsholotsho District. The total area of the province is 75 025km 2. According to the 2002 Population Census Preliminary Report, this vast province had a total population of 701 359. In general, the survey noted that there was very low investment in social and economic infrastructure such as recreation facilities, hospitals and clinics and power. Very few properties have electricity supply. On average 54% of Matabeleland North Province s gravel roads are in good condition. Despite the relatively low levels of investments, significant amount of tourism, livestock rearing and other forms of economic activities were noted for their current and potential value to the economic development of the region. RESOURCE BASE The province is mostly very dry and arid and falls within ecological regions IV and V suitable for livestock and wildlife ranching. This is evident by the prevalence of livestock cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys. For example, in 1998 Matabeleland Province had 420 422 heads of cattle, or nearly 12 percent of all heads of cattle in the country (CSO, 1999). During the same year, Matabeleland North Province had the fourth largest number of sheep by province, 11 percent of the total goats in the country, and the third largest number of donkeys by province (ibid). Also, drought tolerant crops such as sorghum, millet, cow peas and cotton are widely grown in the province. Although not a major producer, the region produces other crops as well including maize, wheat, groundnuts, edible beans and round nuts, as well as tomatoes and onions under irrigation. For example, the region produced 34 tons on onions and 156 tons of tomatoes on communal land irrigation schemes in 2000 (CSO, 2001). Significant quantities of methane gas and limestone exist in Lupane. But these mineral resources are yet to be exploited. There are also newly discovered deposits of gold in Gwitshi Area of Nkayi District as well as in Umguza District. The province also has significant forest (timber) resources notably hard woods such as mukwa and mahogany. Also important to the area are tourist products (e.g. Hwange National Park, Matshwayeli Safaris and Ward 3 Cultural Village in Tsholotsho; Kami Ruins in Umguza District; and Safari Conservancies in Lupane). Within these conservancies and other natural areas are found wildlife resources including some of the big five (Lions, Elephants, Buffalos, and Elephants), as well as Kudus and Impalas especially in Lupane. INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION Roads Because of its relatively small size (985ha), Jotsholo growth point has the highest density of roads (68) per square kilometre, followed by Tsholotsho (17.6), Lupane (12) Ntabazinduna (2.98) and Nkayi (0.93). In terms of the quality of roads, apart from Ntabazinduna and Tsholotsho where most (89 percent and 80 percent respectively) of the gravel roads are in good condition, the rest of the growth points have between 40 and 60 percent of the gravel roads in bad conditions. 14

Railway Ntabazinduna growth point in Umguza District is the nearest to a railway line, the Ntabazinduna Siding about 6.5km from the centre. Lupane and Jotsholo have Gwaai Siding, which is some 48km away, as their closest node. The nearest railway line from Nkayi is 99km away in Kwekwe while the nearest link to Tsholotsho is in Sipepa some 78km from the growth point. Given the unexploited natural resource base in the region, extending some of these lines to better serve the region could be an economically viable proposal. Water Four out of the five growth points (i.e. Lupane, Jotsholo, Tsholotsho and Nkayi) depend on underground source (boreholes) for supply of water. In Lupane there are currently six operational boreholes and another four are planned for drilling. Jotsholo has four (operational) and three (planned) boreholes, Tsholotsho four (operational) and 16 (planned), while Nkayi has three (operational) and six (planned). As expected, all four growth points experience water rationing during the driest months of the year. By contrast, Ntabazinduna, which has the Ingwenya Dam as its source of water supply, has not had water rationing for the last five years. The dam has a capacity of 2 541 x 10 6 m 3. Sanitation Ntabazinduna uses reticulated sewer system with a capacity of 100m 3 per day (50kg BOD/day). This is reported to be grossly inadequate to meet the current and future demand. The growth point has septic tanks in areas not covered by the reticulated system. Both Tsholotsho and Jotsholo also use reticulated systems although their capacities could not be established. However, both the respective Rural District Councils (i.e. Tsholotsho and Kusile RDCs) reported adequacy of installed capacity. Nkayi growth point uses sceptic tanks and blair toilets (considered inadequate) and Lupane (sceptic tanks). Power All growth points are linked to electricity mains. Current supply capacities vary Ntabazinduna (0.5mVa), Lupane (3mVa), Tsholotsho (3mVa), Jotsholo (2mVa) and Nkayi (1.9mVa). In addition, some properties in Ntabazinduna and Nkayi use generator while in Tsholotsho and Lupane there is reported use of solar. Sources of power in the province could be further diversified when production of methane gas begins. In the context of high energy import bill and foreign exchange shortage, such a project would have immediate and long term benefits not only in the region but would resonate throughout the country. Telecom Availability of Telecommunication Service by Growth Point, Matebeleland North Province Growth Point TelOne NetOne ComOne ZimPost POSB SpeedPost Internet Jotsholo Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Lupane Y Y N Y Y Y N Nkayi Y N N Y Y N N Ntabazinduna N N N Y Y N N Tsholotsho Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Source: Growth Points Study, 2005 15

Clearly, Tsholotsho and Jotsholo are the best served growth points in the region. In addition to the services shown on the table, there is mobile phone (NetOne) reception at both growth points. Ntabazinduna also has mobile phone reception for all the major service providers, Lupane (NetOne), and Nkayi (NetOne and Telecel). 16

3.5 Masvingo Province BACKGROUND Masvingo Province comprises Bikita, Chiredzi, Chivi, Gutu, Masvingo, Mwenezi, and Zaka districts. In 2002, the province had a population of 1 318 705. About 90 percent of the province lies in the Southeast middle veld. The extreme southern part of the province lies in the southeastern low veld region (< 600m). The northern reaches of the district lie within agro-ecological region III and IV, while the bulk of the southern region lies in drought-prone Natural Region V. This means that the southern part of the province is less suitable for crop production, but extensive livestock and wildlife production could thrive. Fairly high mean annual temperatures of about 25 o C and high solar radiation make Masvingo Province ideal for growing a range of tropical crops and fruits. RESOURCE BASE The natural resource base of Masvingo consists of land, water, wildlife and minerals. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Masvingo. Crop production, for example, is important in irrigation schemes as well as in large and small-scale commercial farming areas. The main crops grown include groundnuts, sweet potatoes, cotton, sunflower, tobacco, sugar beans, tomatoes, paprika, sorghum, rapoko, wheat and maize. In 2002, for example, the province was the second largest producer of sorghum, edible dry beans and groundnuts (unshelled) in the country (CSO, 2001). Because of the relative abundance of water bodies in the province (see section on water below), for example, the value of sales of various vegetables (including green mealies) produced in communal land irrigation schemes in the province in 2000 accounted for about 26.8 percent of the national total. Some of these crops can easily be processed locally if capacity in agro-industry existed. However, transport bottlenecks and high transaction cost in parts of the district force farmers to sell their produce at sub-optimal prices resulting in low marginal returns for farm investments. A granite-greenstone belt in the north and northwest and gneisses of the Northern Marginal Zone (Limpopo Belt) dominate the geology of Masvingo. The bulk of gold mining in the Province occurs within the greenstone belts while the single largest gold producer in the district, Renco Mine, is located within the Limpopo. Other minerals mined in Masvingo include iron ore (Nyuni Mountains), asbestos (Gatsi Mine) and lithium in Bikita District. Besides minerals there are forest products such as indigenous timber (mukamba mukwa, mutsviri and mupfura) used in the craft industry, gum trees, wild fruits (e.g. marula), and mopane worms among others. Tourism is also an important income earner for the province. Some of the tourist products found in the province include the Great Zimbabwe, Lake Kyle and related water sporting activities (e.g. boating and angling) as well as fishing (mostly bream and kapenta species), and Shagashe and Mutirikwi National Parks where game such as baboons, monkeys, impala, water buck and leopards can be viewed. In addition to their aesthetic value, wildlife is also an important source of meat and trophies. Associated with the tourism industry are a host of related industries including craft that utilise local natural resources. 17

INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION Six growth points were surveyed namely Jerera (Zaka District), Mupandawana (Gutu District), Nyika (Bikita District), Chivi (Chivi North District), Rutenga (Mwenezi District), and Nemanwa (Masvingo District). Roads With gravel road densities averaging 1.95 per square kilometre, 85 percent of the roads in Nemamwa can be described as good, Mupandawana (72 percent), Nyaka (45 percent), Jerera (20 percent), and Rutenga (8 percent). Since the gravel roads form the most important link between growth points and its hinterland, the current road conditions present a challenge and a real opportunity to invest in their rehabilitation and maintenance in order that they provide easier access and lower transport cost. Railway Another important part of the transport infrastructure is the railway system. But as seen already, hardly any growth point, except for Rutenga, has a direct link to the railway network. Therefore, maintaining and improving the road network to ensure that the link from growth points to the nearest railway line is as unimpeded and possible is absolutely vital. This means therefore that the distance separating Jerera from Masvingo (96km), Bikita and Masvingo (85km), Nemamwa and Masvingo (27km), Chivi and Mashava (27km), and Gutu and Chatsworth (34km), must be as accessible as possible. Water Masvingo Province forms part of the catchments for rivers and reservoirs such as Lake Mtirikwi on River Mtirikwi, Muzhwi dam on Shahe River, Mushandike, Bangala and Magudo dams on River Mushandike. Most rural communities including those at various growth points depend on underground water for consumption. More than 600 boreholes and deep wells have been drilled in the province with the most prolific ones situated within the greenstone belts in the north also located in Natural Region III. Sanitation Almost two-thirds of Nemamwa growth point is reticulated except for the industrial sites, which still use septic tanks and cannot be connected to the reticulated system. While Masvingo RDC which administers the growth point reports that the (reticulated) sewer system which was commissioned in 1996 is adequate, they also acknowledged that the septic tanks at the industrial site are beginning to fill up. This is likely to push up maintenance cost. At Chivi growth point, where all three systems (septic tanks, reticulated and blair toilets) are in use, the sewer systems is considered to be inadequate. The 8m 3 per month capacity reticulated sewer system was commissioned in 1997 and has 19 years of life remaining. Due to its limited capacity, most properties at the growth point use blair toilets and septic tanks. The same is true for Jerera, whose facility was commissioned in 1996. Because of its equally limited capacity (8m 3 /month), most properties at the growth point still use blair latrines. Because of its relatively small size (286ha), Rutenga s reticulated system which has a capacity to service 1 000 stands is reportedly adequate. While the demand for sewerage services form the 797 properties connected to the facility is within the limits of currently installed capacity, the 18

Mwenezi RDCs will have to invest resources in construction works sooner that later considering that the system is nearing its life with only four years remaining. By contrast, Bikita RDC says that the reticulated system at Bikita growth point that was commissioned in 1985, and having about 10 years remaining, is very inadequate. This is not surprising give that Bikita is a relatively bigger centres. According to the Gutu RDC, the sewer system (ponds and onsite septic tanks) at Mupandawana growth point is adequate and has more that three decades of life remaining. Power The 2005 survey showed that there is variability between growth points in terms of installed electricity capacity that is available. As the following figure shows, Mupandawana and Nyika have the highest installed capacity, followed by Nemamwa, Jerera, Rutenga and Chivi. Some of the growth points, notably Chivi, Nemamwa and Mupandawana utilise generators, solar and gas as additional sources of energy. In all cases supply from mains has the most coverage. Electricity Installed Capacity (mva) by Growth Point, Masvingo Province, 2005 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Mupandawana Chivi Nemamwa Nyika Rutenga Jerera Telecom As the table below reveals, big difference exists in the level of telecommunication services provision between growth points. In Rutenga and Nemamwa, for example, the only services available are postal and mobile network reception (not shown on table). This contrasts markedly with other growth points such as Mupandawana. Availability of Telecommunication Service by Growth Point, Masvingo Province Growth Point TelOne NetOne ComOne ZimPost POSB SpeedPost Internet Chivi Y N N Y Y N Y Jerera Y Y N Y Y N N Mupandawana Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Nemamwa Y Y N N N N N Nyika Y N N Y Y N Y Rutenga Y Y N N N N N Source: Growth Points Study, 2005 19

3.6 Manicaland Province BACKGROUND While there are seven administrative districts in the Province Buhera, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Makoni, Mutare, Mutasa and Nyanga, only one growth point Ruwangwe in Nyanga District was surveyed. As such the findings may not be representative of the situation in the Province, which in 2002 had a total population of 1 566 899. The nearest town to the growth point, Mutare, is 106km away. RESOURCE BASE Nonetheless, Manicaland Province has about 40 different types of minerals apatite, bauxite corundum, dolomite, garnet, kaolin, limestone, lithium, lead, gold, magnesite, nepheline, syenite, iron kyanite, topaz and talc. The information concerning the amount and quality of these minerals is still inadequate (GoZ 1991:106). 5 Manicaland Province falls within all the country s Natural Regions. Natural Regions I and II, which have high average rainfall per annum, are suitable for intensive crop production. Natural Region III has medium rainfall and Natural Region IV and V have low rainfall and are suitable for extensive farming. The Province is endowed with perennial rivers and natural scenery suitable for the tourist industry. Agriculture is the leading productive sector in the Province. The crops produced include maize, tea, coffee, wheat, cotton, groundnuts, soya-beans and horticultural crops. According to official statistics for 1998, Manicaland was the leading region in the production of mhunga, rice, edible dry beans, ware potatoes (summer crop); second largest producer of nyimo and a significant producer of sweet potatoes (accounting for almost 21 percent of the total national output). Besides crop production, the Province grows a lot of commercial timber. The Province is also engaged in livestock production, especially dairy and beef cattle. Despite its rich natural resource base, the province does not have a diversified manufacturing industry. It has mainly agro-based industries which process horticultural produce and other crops. These industries are mainly situated in Mutare. Although the province is rich in mineral resources, there is very little mining going on. Only apatite is being mined on a large scale for the manufacture of phosphoric acid that is used in the manufacture of fertilizers. INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION In Ruwangwe, the survey results show that only 25 residential properties in the growth point are connected to electric mains. Another 10 use solar energy. This can be attributed to the fact that the amount of disposable income among growth point residents could be relatively high given the strong economic base of the area. The relatively short housing waiting list (78) could also indicate that most people could be actively employed in the primary sectors and therefore are typically nonresidents at the growth point. The area is endowed with abundant waters and hence provision of water by way of boreholes and dams is relatively inexpensive. The survey found out that there were more than 10 planned boreholes in the area in and around the immediate vicinity of the growth point. Though there has been very little investment in terms of water infrastructure by the local authority, this could be explained by the closeness of water to the surface. 5 Republic of Zimbabwe (1991), Second Five-Year National Development Plan 1991-1995 (Harare: Government Printers) 20

Roads Railway Water Sanitation Power Telecom 21

3.7 Matabeleland South Province Background Matabeleland South Province is made up of six administrative districts and these are Beitbridge, Bulilimamange, Gwanda, Insiza, Matopo and Umzingwane. The province covers an area of 54 172km 2 and has a population of 654 897. The whole province lies in agro-ecological region V which ids suitable for cattle and game ranching. Cropping can be undertaken but on condition of irrigation. In Matebeleland South of the 7 growth points in the province, 5 were studied namely, Esibomvu and Mawabeni (Umzingwane, Manama (Gwanda), Maphisa (Matobo), Silalabuwa (Insiza). the other GPs are Tongwe (Beit Bridge) and Ingwesi (Bulalima-mangwe), Infrastructure Provision On average the GPs have a total of 87 properties with electricity from the mains. A lot of investment was being put to power provisioning, operations and maintenance. Roads in Matabeleland South were noted to be in an unsound state. This is in terms of both the gravel roads and the tarred. This is attributable to a number of factors- political, economic, environmental and financial. Economically the region has very little resources such that there are very limited returns when one chooses to invest there. The local authorities are also financially constrained. In terms of communication, on average only 13 properties, according to the study were found to be connected to telephone lines and subscription with phone exchanges was negligible. The only a few dams in the province as compared boreholes. Surprisingly, water rationing in the area was very minimal. This can be due to the fact that at some of the GPs use of piped water was very limited. Roads Railway Water Sanitation Power Telecom 22

3.8 Midlands Province Background Midlands comprises eight administrative districts namely Gokwe North, Gokwe South, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mberengwa, Mvuma, Shurugwi and Zvishavane. The province has an area of 49 166km 2 and a population of 1 366 331. The province lies mainly in Natural Region III, IV, and V, with an annual rainfall ranging from 450-880mm. The region is generally characterised by uneven distribution (rainfall), mid-season droughts and early cessations. This makes most of areas in the province to be suitable for extensive livestock production while the higher rainfall receiving areas with corresponding fertile soils are more suitable for mixed agricultural production. Infrastructure Provision Five growth points in Midlands Province were surveyed: Gokwe (Gokwe South), Insukamini (Gweru), Mabasa (Zvishavane), Mataga (Mberengwa) and Zhombe (Kwekwe). Very few enlisted in the housing waiting list registers, on average. Very few vacant stands were found at the GPs. Both private and public investment in housing was very low, and almost nonexistent in recreational facilities. The road infrastructure of the region was observed to be generally poor. However those, which are managed by the state, are in very good condition. These are the tarred roads. Because of its abounding wealth (agricultural, mineral and wildlife), Gokwe is a good example of a growing growth point GGP. As such it is one of the centres with significant positive developments. On average the total number of properties with telephone lines in the GPs under study was 134, the majority of which were residential. The subscribers with the exchange totalled 161 on average. Thus in terms of communication there were many prospects and it was possible for people to earn supplementary incomes by way of venturing into phone business and Internet cafes at the GPs centres. In terms of water in the region, the research showed that the GPs relied mainly on dam water. Boreholes are also important water sources in the region. In the period of 1995 to 2000, the Government made a great stride in the construction of dams. This may have been after the lessons of the 1992 drought. Operational and maintenance factors have, however, been taken rather lowly. In the periods of May/ June, water availability in dams at the GPs of Midlands is of an excellent mark, averaging 74%, relative to the neighbouring Matabeleland regions which are so drought prone: little arable agrarian practice can be undertaken without irrigation. The research revealed that Midlands is very well developed in terms of the economic engagements as well as the natural endowments, and a sound infrastructure too. However, most development is concentrated in Gokwe. Roads Railway 23

Water Sanitation Power Telecom 24

Section IV Conclusion The revival of Zimbabwe s economy will no doubt depend to a large extent on revival of the agricultural sector. That means a successful implementation of the agrarian programme, particularly expanding the agro-processing capacity to create the necessary forward and backward linkages with agriculture. It is clear from the infrastructure provision presented that different GPs have different competitive advantage in terms of investment attraction. 25

Annex Growth Points Database 26