By Pempho Nkhoma
Government has expressed confidence in the implementation of the Shire Valley Transformation Programme (SVTP) following an inspection visit by the Manifesto Implementation Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet to assess progress in Chikwawa District.
The inspection, conducted on Saturday, involved touring the SVTP irrigation canal from its intake at Kapichira Dam to the Mwanza River, as well as a water treatment facility designed to supply clean potable water to communities in the Shire Valley.
Speaking during the visit, Service Design Engineering Specialist for the Manifesto Implementation Unit, George Matipwiri, said the SVTP is one of the flagship programmes the State President is keen to see fully implemented as part of government manifesto commitments.
“The President made various promises, including increasing irrigated land. In this area alone, about 43,000 hectares will be opened for irrigation,” said Matipwiri.
He said the programme will also improve access to clean water, noting that the water treatment facility is expected to benefit about 46,000 people in the region.
“We have seen a massive structure that will be tapping water, treating it and supplying it to communities in the Shire Valley,” he said.Matipwiri added that the pace of implementation was encouraging, expressing confidence that manifesto commitments were being realised on the ground.
“We have been assured that by October some farmers will start receiving water, which is significant because this is the first year of implementing the manifesto. We will continue to track progress,” he said.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Consultant for the SVTP, Dr. John Njalam’mano, said substantial progress has been made on the main canal, with about 70 per cent of construction works completed.
“The temporary intake is currently under construction. While the permanent intake is expected to be completed later in 2027, works on the temporary intake are about 66 per cent complete, and it is expected to be operational by April this year,” said Njalam’mano.
The Shire Valley Transformation Programme is being implemented in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts and aims to increase agricultural productivity and commercialisation among targeted households while promoting sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources in the Shire Valley.
