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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Beitbridge residents have called on Government and mobile telephone service providers to urgently upgrade communication facilities in the district, where most people are relying on foreign service providers from South Africa and Botswana.
The worst affected people are those living in the rural component of the districts which stretches for over 300km along the Shashe and Limpopo Rivers.
An estimated 170 000 people live in the district’s rural areas over 70 schools and 16 rural health care centres and more than 20 business centres where telephones communication facilities are a nightmare.
In separate interviews, the villagers said the communication situation in the area was dire.
“Imagine we have to climb hill tops or trees to get mobile phone reception. This is a problem the Government and its partners should look at urgently,” said one Thambulo of Tshaswingo (Ward 3), Beitbridge East.
Mr Jabulani Makhado of Beitbridge West said the state of affairs in terms of mobile or fixed telephones in most remote areas was a cause for concern.
He said it was important for service providers to install more base stations on higher ground in some areas considering that the district was flat and low lying.
“More base stations and sub boosters are required for our region which is on flat and low lying ground (low veld). We continue to have poor communication because the operators appear not to be investing much in our district where mobile networks is concerned,” he said.
“Mobile networks can improve communication and reception if they come together and establish base stations with high frequency magnitude and place or erect their devices and receptors in one place and cascade erecting sub boosters to flood the entire district with networks rays.
Mr Makhado added that the situation was also worse at rural health centres where authorities use radio type telephones powered by solar and a few were serviceable because the funders left and there was no backup plan put in place during initial installations.
The Acting District Development Co-ordinator, Mr Jahson Mugodzwa said they had since approached mobile network service providers over the issue.
He said the worst affected areas are Wards 1 (Tshikwalakwala, Tshipise and Tshituripasi), 8 (Shashe, Limpopo, Bili, Jalukange) and 9 (Swereki and Toporo).
“The communication situation is also affecting the implementation and monitoring of major community development initiatives.
“In some cases, we have traditional leaders who are getting allowances via EcoCash failing to access such services and we also have challenges communicating with them.
“In addition, people commit crimes in these areas and it’s difficult to raise alarm with the police,” said Mr Mugodzwa.
Bongani Ndlovu