Devolution transforms communities
DRAWING from a $19,5 billion purse, provinces across the country have been implementing life-changing projects that permeate all facets of life as part of the devolution revolution being championed by President Mnangagwa.
This is in line with President Mnangagwa’s thrust to initiate development that leaves no one behind, and that will also reach every corner of the country.
Devolution seeks to ensure that provinces harness resources in their respective regions to have above US$3000 GDP, in line with the country’s 2013 Constitution and has been given form and life by the Second Republic.
For this year, $19,5 billion has been allocated to devolution projects as the Second Republic moves with pace to implement the strategy aimed at developing the country using local knowledge of needs and getting local communities to take responsibility for their development.
According to the National Public Infrastructure Investment Programme for 2021 document crafted by the Finance and Economic Development Ministry, Government provides the right framework for building back better all the critical public infrastructure services required for the country’s socio-economic development with input from benefiting communities.
Midlands province has so far received over $288 million as devolution funds with several projects having been completed.
Midlands Provincial Development Coordinator, Mr Abiot Maronge said each district and local authority in the province has received a fair share of the funds with notable developmental projects on the ground.
He said the funds which were disbursed since the coming in of the Second Republic have started bearing fruit and changing lives for the better in rural communities.
“The Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Senator Larry Mavima had a hectic schedule where he has been going around the province, commissioning projects which have been completed using devolution funds.
“Only recently, we witnessed the commissioning of some clinics, two tipper trucks, a Nissan hard-body, and 16 newly drilled boreholes across Kwekwe rural community by the Zibagwe Rural District Council,” he said.
Mr Maronge said all local authorities across the province have completed between three and four projects which were funded by devolution money.
“There are around six priorities which the local authorities were tasked to focus on when using devolution funds, these include, health, education, water and sanitation, road infrastructure among others,” he said.
While central Government used to make decisions for communities, under Devolution priorities are set by the people, and a classical case in point is when the Sanyati Rural District Council used its 2020’s Devolution Funds towards a Water purification plant in ward 18 and the purchase of two tipper trucks.
This year Sanyati RDC received ZWL$10 million and the funds will be used to construct two clinics in ward 12 namely Msasa and Marimari in ward 5.
In Masvingo, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira, said the province has made great strides in the socio-economic sphere because of the devolution programme.
The province’s aggregate Gross Domestic Product is also on an upward trajectory thanks to investments both by government and the private sector in Masvingo.
“We are grateful to President Mnangagwa for making sure the entire Chivi Turn-Off-Mhandamabwe highway has been upgraded after Bitumen World completed the outstanding 12km up to Mhandamabwe Growth point. This will speed up the movement of goods and people thereby contributing to overall economic growth in our province.”
“Completion of Chibi turn off-Mhandamabwe highway shows that the Second Republic walks the talk on its goal to propel Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income society by 2030,” said Minister Chadzamira.
The outstanding 12km was completed after the Government coughed US$1,7million.
The road project also created employment for locals who were hired as contract workers while local businesses flourished via ripple effects.
Farmers in and around will also now speedily move their produce to the market. The government is now focusing on upgrading the Mhandamabwe-Shurugwi road that is in bad shape.
Minister Chadzamira said several other road projects were at various stages of development across the province including the Masvingo-Zimuto road, the Rutenga-Zvishavane highway, and Gutu-Kurai.
In the sphere of irrigation, Minister Chadzamira said the revival of the Chombww piped water scheme in Chivi in December last year together with the rehabilitation of Mushandike irrigation scheme would galvanise the fight to engender food security in Masvingo.
Government had also completed phase 1 of Chilonga irrigation scheme rehabilitation with nearly 160hectares now irrigable.
The scheme had been mothballed since 2007 when it dried up after Runde River changed its course due to siltation.
Government intends to inject more funding to expand Chilonga to cover 2000ha and become the food security hinge for the arid southern Chiredzi.
The ongoing US$40 Kilimanjaro Sugar Cane project which seeks to increase aggregate sugar output is also on course with Lowveld sugar producer Tongaat and local financial institutions have so far availed funding to develop over 700ha which has been allocated to indigenous beneficiaries.
The remaining 2600ha is expected to be put under sugar cane once clearing is completed.
In Matabeleland South districts like Beitbridge, $22, 4 million of devolution funds have been used to procure service delivery equipment and infrastructure development projects in the area.
District development coordinator Mrs Sikhangazile Mafu-Moyo said Beitbridge Municipality received a cumulative $11, 280 339 while the rural council received $11, 120 000 in the last two years.
“So far Beitbridge Municipality has procured a refuse compactor truck for $2,9 million, backhoe loader (TLB) for $1, 1 million, and a water and sanitation vehicle for $2,2 million.
“In addition, they made more payments for a sewer jetting machine ($19 million) and a water and sanitation vehicle,” Mrs Mafu Moyo.
She said the municipality had also used a total of $700 000 to upgrade its Information Communication and Technology facilities.
Mrs Mafu Moyo said the rural council had used its share to build, Tshabili, Mazunga and Dumba Clinics, repairs to Shashe Clinic, and the construction of Nhovhe Primary School in Beitbridge West, the repair of roofs at Chabeta Primary and Tshituripasi Secondary School which were extensively damaged by tropical storms recently.
Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Aplonia Munzverengwi said devolution is transforming communities.
The situation is the same in the provinces of Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland where life-changing initiatives have seen dams being constructed, roads being rehabilitated, and bridges being built.-heral.l.zw
