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Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE Municipality has completed the process of naming streets, suburbs and business centres in line with its modernisation drive.
The council consulted residents and then exercised its powers under section 212 of the Urban Council Act.
Beitbridge town was elevated into a municipality on 9 March in 2018 as part of the Second Republic’s initiative to accelerate development at the country’s busiest port of entry.
This gave the local council far greater responsibilities and powers than those exercised by a local area board.
The town with an estimated population of 100 000 has been growing rapidly in the last decade in terms of infrastructure development.
Beitbridge town clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola, said yesterday that they held consultative meetings with influential citizens, local legislators and other stakeholders between 2016 and 2018.
He said they were now working on putting up the signs, notice boards and maps of the streets and suburbs.
“We have named some streets and suburbs giving them names of our traditional leaders and prominent families who stayed in this town,” he said.
“For example we now have townships called Madinginye in honour of headman Madinginye, Khwalu named after Chief Khwalu, Mabidi named after Headman Mabidi, Tshidixwa a senior village head, Matibe after Chief Matibe, and Tshithaudze after Chief Tshithaudze. We also have our industrial area now called Milayo Industrial area.
“At the moment, we are seeking sponsorship to erect signs in some areas so that the names are known to the residents, stakeholders, service providers and visitors to the town.”
So far, the council has erected notice boards in selected spots in a few suburbs.
Under the new set-up the town now has 12 suburbs including: Matibe (low density formerly Eastly), Tshidixwa (old medium density near OJs business Centre), Tshithaudze (Mashavire, Garikai, Two Rooms and Mangavha areas), Khwalu 1 (Shule-shule and SDP stands), Khwalu 2 (Mfelandawonye and Forit stands), Mabidi (medium density west of White Lodge), Vhembe View (old low density and town centre), Madinginye (high and medium Density west of Welton Primary School), Siyoka (low density stands along Bulawayo Road), Limpopo View (west of border post), Dulilvhadzimu (old Dulilvhadzimu and Vhembe High School area), and Milayo industrial areas (Industrial area north of old medium density suburbs).
Mr Ramakgapola said the naming of streets and suburbs would help to improve service delivery. These include the provision of social amenities, and addressing challenges around services which include ambulances, fire brigade and the police to response to emergency calls.
Prior to the latest development, the area had only one named suburb, Dulilvhadzimu, and most of the new suburbs were known informally after business centres or the names of the land developers.
Services such as postal deliveries could not be introduced without proper organisation of suburbs and streets.
Online Reporter