Climate crisis, drought drive young people out of Gokwe

GOKWE North and South were renowned cotton-producing areas and recorded phenomenal infrastructural development just after independence.

There was mass exodus of villagers from other districts, particularly from arid areas such as Mberengwa, Shurugwi and Zvishavane in Midlands, as well as Gutu, Zaka and Chivi in Masvingo who were enticed by cotton farming and came to settle in the two districts of Gokwe.

However, perennial droughts and floods, coupled with extreme heatwaves over the years, have painted a gloomy picture about the future of the cotton industry.

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