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Chiefs in the area hailed President Mugabe whom they described as a visionary.
In Zvishavane, Chief Collen Mapanzure said his community was now deriving direct benefits from its natural resources.
“We are witnessing practical development and recently we constructed a new hospital in Zvegona area.
“We have set aside US$500 000 for women and youths to start income-generating projects.”
Chief Mapanzure said projects identified so far included poultry, piggery, horticulture and brick moulding.
He said it was important for the local leadership to administer development programmes in the communities because they knew the challenges affecting the people.
In Shurugwi, the Tongogara Community Share Ownership Trust has poured over US$5 million in various projects that have helped to transform the lives of the people.
Tongogara Rural District Council chief executive Mr Addington Munyoro, who is also the secretary for Tongogara Community Share Ownership Trust, said the economic empowerment drive had made a huge impact in the area.
“We have completed a number of projects under phase one that included the construction of Musasa Primary School, reconstruction of Chirume Dam that was washed away in 1992 and construction of a classroom block at Banga Primary School,” he said.
Mr Munyoro said Chirume Dam, which is under Chief Nhema, supplied water to more than 200 households and they were looking at possibilities of developing an irrigation scheme in the area.
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He said the Trust was expecting to complete the construction of a mortuary and a maternity ward at Zvamabande Clinic under Chief Ndanga before the end of next month.
There is no mortuary at the clinic and bodies are kept in a toilet.
Mr Munyoro said the Trust acquired a truck-mounted drilling rig for more than US$400 000 that could drill at least four boreholes daily.
He said a budget of US$1 million had been set aside to drill 160 boreholes in Shurugwi, particularly in newly-resettled areas.
“We have also purchased a grader at a cost of US$354 000 to rehabilitate the road network in Shurugwi,” said Mr Munyoro.
He said the Trust intended to upgrade a stretch of about of 600 kilometers of the road network at a cost of US$3 million.
Mr Munyoro said the grader would also be hired out to generate income for the Trust.
He said the schemes launched by President Mugabe in different provinces were making significant development in the rural areas and needed to be sustained.
Community Share Ownership Trusts were established under section 14B of the Economic Empowerment (General) Regulations of 2010 which provide that local communities whose natural resources are being exploited by any ‘qualifying business’ must be guaranteed shareholding in such business.
Most of the provinces now have such schemes and President Mugabe is expected to launch the Mashonaland East Community Share Ownership Trust soon.
The schemes are part of the indiginisation and economic empowerment programme which has ensured that locals benefit from natural resources and businesses that were previously monopolised by foreigners.
Online Reporter