MASVINGO— The distraught Tokwe Mukosi flood victims who are now settled in Chingwizi are set to get their compensation money after the government through the ministry of local government released a total of RTGS$5 906 400.
Thousands of families were rendered homeless in February 2014 after torrential rainfall pounced in the province resulting in the collapse of Tokwe Mukosi Dam wall causing massive flooding and destruction of property.
Efforts to get compensation for the victims were futile over the years but Provincial Administrator Fungai Mbetsa said the money is now available and they will have a team on the ground to assess the damage of property suffered by each family in the wake of the disaster.
“The money to compensate the Chingwizi victims is now available and it will be given in accordance to the property lost. The government made a pledge to compensate the victims but we have not been able to do it because the money was not there.
“Starting next week, our team will visit Chingwizi to meet the beneficiaries and make evaluations on the damage each family suffered. We gave few families the little money which was availed to us in 2016 but it was barely enough,” said Mbetsa.
During his campaign rally in Masvingo, President Mnangagwa guaranteed that the Chingwizi victims will be given first preference in the allocation of over 25 000 hectares of land to be cleared for irrigation by the Tokwe Mukosi Dam.