Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
SERVICE delivery has been gradually improving in Beitbridge as Government continues pouring funds for capital projects under the devolution initiative.
Last week, council completed the construction of a new primary school in Kwalu 2 suburb, west of the border town.
The local authority has in the last three years managed to procure a refuse compactor truck, and earth moving equipment, upgraded its ICT facilities and procured two service vehicles using devolution funds.
Beitbridge mayor, councillor Munyaradzi Chitsunge said they had spent $16 million to build two classroom blocks at a new primary school that will have its first enrolment in 2023.
“The project started in November last year, and so far, we have managed to build two classroom blocks. This will help us improve service delivery in terms of providing more learning facilities in our town,” he said.
The town’s head of environmental health and social services, Mr Pio Muchena said council runs two primary schools and one secondary school.
Mr Muchena said more funds will be used to build more schools to accommodate the town’s ever-growing population.
“We are short of four primary and two secondary schools in our town and we have long-term plans to build these as and when funds become available.
So far, we have managed to use $16 million from our devolution allocation to build one more primary school in the western suburbs.
We will have a name and register it with relevant authorities soon so that we enroll the first classes next year,” he said.
Mr Muchena said ideally, they need to have a primary school for every 5 000 people and one secondary school with three feeder primary schools. The town has an estimated population of 70 000 with three secondary and six primary schools.
Mr Promise Funani, the director of Promel Construction, a company that built the classroom blocks in Kwali 2 suburb said they employed mostly the youth.
“As an indigenous construction company, which employees mostly the youth, we are happy that we have managed to contribute to infrastructure development in this town,” said Mr Funani— @tupeyo
Online Reporter