Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube , Victoria Falls Reporter
AUTHORITIES in Hwange West Constituency have committed $2 million they got from Treasury under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for development of learning, health and water infrastructure.
The area’s Member of Parliament Mr Godfrey Dube said the money was received last month.
This is in addition to more than $400 000 received between 2018 and 2020 which was used for various other infrastructure development projects in the constituency, Mr Dube said.
A number of schools have received building material for use in rehabilitating classroom blocks and constructing teachers’ cottages using the 2021 CDF allocations.
This follows concerns about shortage of teachers’ accommodation at many schools and a Portfolio Committee of Primary and Secondary Education which visited Matabeleland North province a few months ago said teachers houses at most schools were deplorable.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo, who is on a countrywide tour of learning institutions, was in Victoria Falls last week where he expressed concern about overcrowding in most schools owing to shortage of learning infrastructure.
He called for partnerships in construction of more infrastructure as Government strives to reduce schools’ backlog.
“As Hwange West Constituency we received a total of $2 million and after a serious consideration we opted to focus on the major projects for this year.
“We chose to do a teachers’ cottage at Sikumbi Primary School with a budget of $320 000, BH23 dip tank solar power system with a budget of $365 000 and a hall in partnership with Mosi-oa-Tunya High School where we set aside $750 000 which will be delivered as building material to the school,” said Mr Dube.
Building material comprising 85 bags of cement, roofing material, door and window frames have been delivered to Sikumbi primary for commencement of construction of a teachers’ cottage.
Mr Dube said 200 bags of cement were procured and being distributed to various schools around the constituency, with Chamabondo, Baobab and Jabula Primary schools having already received 25 bags each to cater for classroom repairs.
He said the $420 000 CDF the constituency got between 2018 and 2020, was used to build an Early Childhood Development (ECD) block at Chikandakubi and Takazwipila primary schools, a women and youth centre in Chikandakubi, painting of an HIV block at Lukunguni Clinic (Sacred Heart Mission) and a kitchen at Chisuma Clinic as well as to buy computers for Victoria Falls public library.
Mr Dube implored members of the public to participate in development work saying they were also free to demand to see how the CDF resources are used.
“We have a strong accountability system and in addition to the Parliament audit systems we also do our own of which we go to an extent of inviting members of the public to come and view the projects and check on accounts,” he said.
The Legislator commended some non-governmental organisations including tour operators and hoteliers who are undertaking various developmental projects in the district including providing solar powered borehole projects to schools, clinics, dip tanks and community gardens.
Some of the organisations are Jafuta Foundation and Greenline Africa Trust and tour operating companies such as Wild Horizons, Shearwater among others.
Meanwhile, Mr Dube said he was grateful to Government for the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) for commencing work on rehabilitation of roads where many have been fixed especially by the District Development Fund.-@ncubeleon
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