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Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau
The Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) has brought smiles to thousands of communities across Mashonaland West Province as it intensified development under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).
RIDA has also improved the road network system under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP).
Both programmes are 100 percent funded by the Government.
In an interview during a tour of the various projects undertaken by RIDA across the province in line with Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy (NDS-1), villagers lauded the Second Republic for initiating people-centred developmental projects that included construction of bridges, dams and roads, and borehole drilling and rehabilitation.
Mr Simbarashe Chibukira of Chirau, Zvimba District said RIDA’s involvement in their area had left them with a bridge along the Garoyi River.
Garoyi Bridge is above 90 percent complete and RIDA is optimistic that it will be completed by mid-September.
“We are grateful to the Government and RIDA for releasing funds that have made it possible for the construction of Garoyi Bridge,” said Mr Chibukira.
“Before the bridge, we struggled during the rainy season with school-going children forced to stay at home until the river subsided.”
Gogo Betty Mazuru said the bridge will bring relief to mothers in the area, who were always afraid of losing their children in the flooded river.
Mr Steven Chagadama, who is among the 20 youths casually employed by RIDA, said apart from bringing the much-needed development in the area, he had financially benefited from the construction of the bridge.
Under the same district, RIDA has also rehabilitated Nyamavanga Irrigation Dam, which has seen the community do its first-ever wheat crop since construction of the water reservoir in 2000.
RIDA engineers block the seepage that made it impossible for the dam to hold enough water for irrigation and other income generating projects.
Ward 2 Councillor, Mr Andrew Chirenda and Irrigation scheme chairman, Mr Never Manyenga, said the rehabilitation of the dam by RIDA came at an opportune time when the community was targeting to contribute to national food security.
The scheme has put 20 hectares under wheat.
RIDA provincial director, Mr Erikana Chikande, said various projects had been done completed in the province since the coming in of the Second Republic in 2018.
“We want to thank the Second Republic for giving us resources to implement various projects in Mashonaland West Province under PSIP and ERRP programmes.
“Nyamavanga Dam was also repaired and we are happy to report that as we speak, 20 hectares is under wheat and communities have plans to do fish farming and establish horticulture gardens to improve household nutrition as well as food security,” he said.
RIDA, added Mr Chikande, had done over 600km of motorised and towed grading of various roads in the province.
The Sanyati-Chiridzagoma Road in Sanyati, was one of the agency’s flagship projects, which was completed this year.
“Within the past five years, we have also done 14 bridges and five of which are under construction while nine were completed to improve accessibility of the place in line with the mantra “leaving no one and no place behind,” he added.
Traditional leaders in Mashonaland West have commended RIDA for undertaking various developmental projects in the province.
RIDA has drilled over 90 new boreholes and rehabilitated 1 200 boreholes across all seven districts in the province.
It has also done 600km of roads and 14 bridges throughout the whole province.
Chief Dandawa, Mr Trymore Dandawa Manyepa, was elated by the construction of Musukwe Bridge, saying it will save lives.
“This bridge has been the communities’ plight for long. We are grateful to the Second Republic for funding RIDA. Before its construction, a lot of people lost valuables while school children failed to attend lessons.
“The bridge is the link between various villages from both ends and, its absence threatened the lives of patients being transported to Chidamoyo Christian Hospital from the other end,” said Chief Dandawa.
Expecting mothers would give birth at home or by the flooded river, during the rainy season.
“We have over 150 villages from both ends with at least 60 households per village which means there are a lot of people who eagerly waited for this development.
“Some of these people have lost fertilisers, cattle, goats, and cars,” he added.
Fuleche, Dandawa, Musukwe, Rengwe, and other village heads said the setting up of the bridge and subsequent construction of the road network, was a sign that the Second Republic was concerned about the development of their area.
Musukwe Bridge has been completed with only road realignment works of 5km left, and expected to have been done within the next two weeks.
Kariba district traditional chiefs, also lauded RIDA for the projects in the area, with Chief Mola, Msampakaruma, Negande and Nebiri, saying the developments by RIDA were in line with Vision 2030.
Chief Mola, born Charles Rare, said the dilapidated road network and bridges in the area had been worked on by RIDA and other Government departments.
Chief Negande, Mr Nkawusu Mpofu, and Chief Msampakaruma, lauded the drilling and rehabilitation of boreholes in their hot and dry areas.
RIDA’s Mr Chikande said they have drilled 91 new boreholes as well as rehabilitating 1 250 boreholes, thereby increasing access to safe and clean water. “These include those at chiefs’ homesteads. We have done 14 bridges across the province and five are under construction.
“Those under construction include the ones linking Makonde and Hurungwe districts and Hurungwe and Kariba districts,” he said.
The Second Republic has resourced the agency with funding and equipment to improve development across the country’s rural provinces.
Online Reporter