$5m devolution boon for Chirumhanzu RDC

George Maponga in MASVINGO
Chirumhanzu Rural District Council has used part of the $5 million it got from Government as devolution funds to improve health service delivery and provision of clean water.

The development is expected to improve livelihoods of communities in line with Vision 2030 of an upper middle income society.

The district has made tremendous progress in the health sphere after completing construction of three new clinics, thereby making sure there was a health centre within a 5km radius of every household.

Part of the devolution funds were used to drill 16 new boreholes to make sure communities had easy access to potable water.

Nyamatikiti Bridge along the Chaka-Charandura road which connects communities in northern parts of the district to Charandura Growth point which houses the main GMB depot in the district and St Theresa Mission Hospital was also rehabilitated using devolution funds. Plans were afoot to make sure each of the 25 wards in Chirumhanzu has a borehole thanks to the impending purchase of a drilling rig which could also be hired out to generate additional revenue for the local authority. Future devolution funding would also go towards purchasing road making equipment such as graders and tippers to make sure the local authority was self-reliant and avoids leakage of the much needed revenue.

Chirumanzu’s District Development Co-ordinator Mr Vafios Hlavati is optimistic that targets set under Vision 2030 were achievable if all government departments put their hands on the deck.

According to Mr Hlavati unity of purpose was the cornerstone of the ongoing drive to improve the living standards of communities in Chirumhanzu.

He paid tribute to the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa for conceiving devolution which was already accruing tangible benefits for previously marginalised communities. ‘’We received $4,7 million under devolution which we channeled towards construction of clinics and three nurses’ houses at Hwata (Ward 6), Chapwanya (Ward 14) and Chimbimbi (Ward 21), the only remaining task is some minor touch ups otherwise the three clinic projects would be completed before the end of this month.