Government renames Tokwe Murkosi Dam

Source: Government renames Tokwe Murkosi Dam – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 31, 2017

GOVERNMENT is planning to rename Tokwe-Murkosi Dam to Tugwi-Mukosi, as its current name is adulterated Shona used by colonialists, a top official in the Environment, Water and Climate ministry has said.

Mirror

Tokwe-Mukosi is Zimbabwe’s largest inland water body recently commissioned by President Robert Mugabe after construction was completed by Salini of Italy.

Tinayeshe Mutazu, who is director of water resources, planning and management, recently said the name change proposal was raised at a meeting of the ministerial taskforce in charge of developing the dam’s master plan.

The official name, which is on the construction contract, is Tokwe-Murkosi and this could not be changed before or during the process of construction because there were legal implications, Mutazu said.

He urged different government ministries to come up with a framework that would guide development at the dam.

“We are moving to correct the name from Tokwe-Murkosi Dam to Tugwi-Mukosi Lake, because the name the rivers that feed into the dam are Tugwi and Mukosi,” Mutazu said.

“The dam will also be changed to a lake.

“The change of the name will be officially announced through a Government Gazette after due process. Tokwe-Murkosi was coined by the colonial regime, when the dam was at the planning stages in the 1950s, the changes could not be done because of the legal implications to the agreement signed between the government and Salini that constructed the dam under the name Tokwe-Murkosi, which is what is on the maps,” Mutazu, who is also chair of the inter-ministerial taskforce, said.

Chivi rural district administrator, Mafios Hlabati welcomed the proposed change and said turning it into a lake will enhance its status.
Chivi–Mwenezi Senator Josaya Hungwe said Tugwi means an overflowing river.

“Tokwe is not a Shona name, the correct name is Tugwi, which means a river that is full of water, likewise Shurugwi means full to the skies, Tugwi means a flooded river,” Hungwe said.