Volumes of Water, Inequalities and Heritage Loss at Zimbabwe’s Tugwi-Mukosi Dam

Authors

  • Nkosinathi Muyambo Independent water and ecosystem health specialist
  • Leonard Chitongo Walter Sisulu University image/svg+xml
  • Philani Mlilo Independent researcher
  • Francis Muromo Midlands State University image/svg+xml

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/0jk28z03

Published

2026-08-04

Issue

Water & Heritage for Sustainable Development

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Nkosinathi Muyambo, Leonard Chitongo, Philani Mlilo, Francis Muromo

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Muyambo, N., Chitongo, L., Mlilo, P., & Muromo, F. (2026). Volumes of Water, Inequalities and Heritage Loss at Zimbabwe’s Tugwi-Mukosi Dam. Blue Papers. https://doi.org/10.58981/0jk28z03

Keywords:

socio-ecological well-being, traditional (river) knowledge, damming / de-damming, water resource management, sustainable development

Abstract

This study examines the socio-ecological impacts of the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam on rural communities in Masvingo South, Zimbabwe, focusing on how dam construction has disrupted and “silenced” traditional water resource values, undermining socio-ecological well-being. Taking a critical community psychology approach, it highlights how ignoring rivers’ roles as heritage sites hampers collaborative water management and sustainable development. Using qualitative data from interviews with locals and stakeholders, the study shows how the dam exacerbates social inequalities and heritage decay. It calls for integrating local values into dam planning to honor rivers’ cultural significance. By addressing opposition to the dam and prioritizing community engagement, the research advocates for transformative water management that respects heritage and fosters socio-ecological well-being.

Author Biographies

  • Nkosinathi Muyambo, Independent water and ecosystem health specialist

    Nkosinathi Muyambo is a water and ecosystems health specialist and an esteemed Rotary-IHE alumnus. He has an MSc in Water and Sustainable Development, focusing on Water Resources and Ecosystems Health. Prior to this, he obtained an MSc in Development Studies (Invasive Plant Species and Rural Livelihoods) and a PhD in Theology and Development (Climate Change and the Agency of African Indigenous Church Communities). Passionate about community-centered water management, Dr. Muyambo collaborates with Rotarians and volunteers through Rotary clubs in the Netherlands and Zimbabwe. His work focuses on restoring water swamps and revitalizing aging dam infrastructure, carefully considering the unique sociocultural contexts of the communities he serves. Dr. Muyambo’s commitment to sustainable water solutions reflects a blend of scientific expertise and grassroots engagement in international water resilience projects.

  • Leonard Chitongo, Walter Sisulu University

    Leonard Chitongo is a critical scholar in human socio-economic development who is dynamic in facing new challenges in his academic and professional career. He is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. He is strongly interested in researching issues that affect human and social development. He has published several articles on rural and urban resilience, housing, livelihoods and public policy.

  • Philani Mlilo, Independent researcher

    Philani Mlilo is a development practitioner, researcher and academic who specializes in addressing complex socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Philani’s expertise includes climate change, natural resource management, water management, resilience building, rural development, livelihoods, migration and gender intersectionality. Philani also has extensive experience in food security, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Philani holds a Master of Social Sciences in Demography and Population Studies from Great Zimbabwe University and a BSc Honours Degree in Development Studies from Lupane State University.

  • Francis Muromo, Midlands State University

    Francis Muromo holds a PhD in Rural Resources Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an MPhil in African Studies from the University of Cape Town, both in South Africa. He also holds a Master of Science Degree in Rural and Urban Planning (RUP) from the University of Zimbabwe, where he lectured in the RUP Department from 2008 to 2012. Currently, he is a research fellow in the Tugwi Mukosi Multidisciplinary Research Institute (TMMRI) of Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. TMMRI’s major focus is water bodies and how these bodies impact the environment and development in general. His research interests are focused on rural development issues, particularly the development-induced displacements bedeviling Africa as a result of Chinese investment, and also contract farming dynamics in the aftermath of land reform in Zimbabwe.

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