derick.khumalo
Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Nyamandlovu
THE launch of the community-driven Tsholotsho Road Rehabilitation Initiative is a celebration of partnership, unity of purpose and collective determination to transform communities through infrastructure development, Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo has said.
Officially launching the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road Rehabilitation Initiative in Nyamandlovu on Friday, Minister Moyo said the programme demonstrated what could be achieved when Government, communities, local authorities and institutions worked together towards a common goal.
“This initiative strongly supports President Mnangagwa’s development philosophy that ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. It clearly illustrates that national development is everyone’s responsibility. Government creates an enabling environment, institutions provide technical and financial support, local authorities mobilise resources, and communities become active participants in shaping their own future,” he said.
Minister Moyo said the Second Republic had placed infrastructure development at the centre of Zimbabwe’s economic transformation agenda because modern infrastructure was essential for inclusive growth and industrialisation.
“Our roads are not merely strips of tar or gravel linking one point to another. They facilitate tourism, attract investment, reduce transport costs and improve the efficiency of public service delivery. This initiative therefore contributes directly to the realisation of Vision 2030, whose objective is to transform Zimbabwe into an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income economy,” he said.
He commended the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ms Sithandiwe Ncube, traditional leaders, the communities of Tsholotsho and Nyamandlovu, the Tsholotsho Road Rehabilitation Initiative (TRRI) leadership, members of the diaspora, transport operators, businesspeople and various Government departments for supporting the initiative from its inception.
Minister Moyo said every contribution made towards the project, regardless of size, was valuable.
“No contribution is small; every contribution is meaningful. This is precisely the spirit that underpins the Government’s devolution and decentralisation agenda, empowering communities to identify their priorities and actively participate in development while demonstrating effective coordinated planning and resource sharing within Government structures,” he said.
The Tsholotsho Road Rehabilitation Initiative was spearheaded by community members led by Botswana-based businessman Mr Cephas Tshuma, who mobilised residents, businesses and members of the diaspora to contribute towards the rehabilitation of the road.
The initiative aims to raise resources, including more than 36 000 litres of diesel, to support rehabilitation works along the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road, with additional backing from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) through its corporate social responsibility programme.
