*MASVINGO PROVINCIAL INFORMATION DESK OFFICIAL* _Minister Chadzamira Champions Rural Transformation at Takaruva Village Business Unit Launch_ *By Tafara Pande* Chivi - Takaruva Village, Ward 9, Chivi District, was a hive of excitement today as the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Ezra R. Chadzamira, delivered a stirring keynote address while officially commissioning the new Village Business Unit (VBU). The event attended by Mambo Chivi, constituency legislator Hon. Godfrey Mukungunugwa, provincial heads, councillors, development partners and jubilant farmers marked another milestone in Masvingo’s march toward Vision 2030. Acknowledging Chivi’s long-standing battle with erratic rainfall of “barely 400 mm a year,” Minister Chadzamira said the Second Republic’s Rural Development 8.0 model was “turning vulnerability into viability.” He noted that 104 VBUs are already operating across Masvingo, while six irrigation schemes covering 388 ha including the 156-ha Bwanya scheme in Chivi North are boosting output and incomes. “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,” he declared. “We are the architects of our own prosperity.” Pledging to escalate government investment in small-holder irrigation, the Minister highlighted Muzhwi Dam’s potential to unlock additional hectarage and vowed to expedite repairs to the storm-damaged Denga Dam nearby. He urged farmers to embrace climate-smart crops and market-driven horticulture: “The mantra is grow to sell, not grow and hope to sell.” Hon Chadzamira reported that 749 presidential boreholes have been sunk in the province and three drilling rigs are currently on rotation a fleet set to expand “in the very near future.” Borehole yields, he explained, dictate whether a site graduates into a full VBU, making community knowledge critical to siting new wells. Thanking ZANU PF provincial chairperson Cde Robson Mavhenyengwa and local structures for “persistent lobbying,” the Minister lauded the Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr. Pazvakavambwa, the Chivi RDC, AGRITEX and the Joint Operations Command for seamless coordination. He further applauded the private sector for supplying inputs and off-take markets. “Vision 2030 is not a spectator sport,” Hon Chadzamira said in closing. He implored villagers to safeguard infrastructure, heed agronomic training and remain patriotic custodians of the land. With applause echoing across Takaruva’s newly planted demonstration plots, the Minister cut the ribbon symbolising a fresh chapter of food security, nutrition and inclusive economic growth for Chivi District. *Edited by Godfrey Gusha*