Chronicle Editor
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global aspirational roadmap towards achieving a sustainable future for all — through reducing poverty, protecting the environment, and building inclusive societies.
At its core, it is guided by principles of inclusivity and participation, and its success is predicated on establishing strategic cross-cutting and multi-stakeholder partnerships towards the achievement of the goals. The engagement, inclusion, and participation of citizens, and perhaps more significantly the ownership of the Global Agenda by empowered citizens, is pivotal towards realising the broad goals of sustainable development in such a way that no one is left behind.”
The above statement is from a report by United Nations titled Engaging citizens for Sustainable Development: A data perspective (2018).
We concur with the fact point that “As primary agents of their development and the ultimate beneficiaries of the Sustainable Development Goals, citizens have a pivotal role to play not only in terms of the effort and action towards the achievement of the goals but also in terms of the associated monitoring of the progress towards these goals.”
Health provision is part of the main focus areas for Sustainable Development across the globe, and the Government of Zimbabwe has also placed health provision for all at the core of its business with a lot of resources having been invested in health facilities across the country.
What has also been of interest has been the buy-in from local communities, which is very key for development. Rural communities, bankrolled by people living in the diaspora, have been central to building and renovating clinics in Matabeleland South, namely Bulilima, Beitbridge and Esigodini.
Early this year during a groundbreaking ceremony at Diba Clinic, the MP for Bulilima East who is also the Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Hon Mangaliso Ndlovu, hailed people from his constituency for partnering Government in the development of infrastructure resulting in several clinics being constructed.
It is estimated diasporans have so far contributed R10m for the construction of 20 clinics in the area.
“Let us analyse the diaspora contribution in the development of our area. One clinic costs about R500 000. When we talk of 20 clinics, it means we are close to R10 million that is invested in the social infrastructure by our children based in the diaspora. This is the highest investment that can be done by locals partnering the Government,” he said.
In March, diasporans from Umzingwane district mobilised resources for the refurbishment of Esigodini District Hospital. It only took a few pictures of the hospital, battered by the bountiful rains that the country received during the past season, to convince diasporans to pull together resources for the refurbishment of the hospital.
Last week, our sister paper Chronicle reported that a group of community members, among them businesspeople operating under the banner Friends of Beitbridge Hospital has undertaken to service most of the obsolete medical equipment including ambulances and service vehicles at Beitbridge District Hospital.
They have since handed over a repaired Mazda B2200 ambulance to the District Civil Protection Unit, which was fixed at a cost of R13 000.
The hospital, among other issues, is short of service vehicles and ambulances, which has seen the institution relying on one vehicle to service the 250 000 population and an additional 13 000 transiting through the town daily.
In Bulawayo, individuals working under the banner of IAM4BYO-Fighting Covid-19 initiative — have been playing a key role of leading the gathering of resources to open Ekusileni hospital.
In addition, Thorngrove hospital, among other local hospitals has in recent months received equipment donated by Zimbabweans locally and in the diaspora.
The participation of citizens in the development of health facilities has been remarkable, and we pray that it overlaps to other areas of interest to better the lives of people.
Online Reporter