Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE Municipality has improved its service delivery as Government continues to release devolution funds for capital projects
The local authority has in the last four years managed to procure a refuse compactor truck and earth-moving equipment. Council also upgraded its ICT facilities and procured two service vehicles.
The local authority recently completed the construction of a primary school in Kwalu 2 suburb and also is targeting to build 28 two-roomed houses in Dulivhadzimu.
Addressing stakeholders during a mid-term budget review meeting on Monday, Beitbridge Municipality financial director, Mr Anymore Mbedzi said the new school will open its doors in January next year.
He said council spent at least $18 million to construct two classroom blocks at the new primary school from their 2022 allocation.
“After consultation with residents, we have managed to build two classroom blocks in Ward 4. This will help us improve service delivery in terms of providing more learning facilities in our town,” said Mr Mbedzi.
“The new school, Alfred Beit is one of our major projects and we are in the midst of building another classroom block, toilets, and an F14 house. We expect these projects to be completed at the end of this year ahead of the beginning of a new term in 2024.
Beitbridge Municipality runs two primary schools and a secondary school.
The local authority also plans to channel more funds towards building more schools to accommodate the town’s ever-growing population.
Ideally, Beitbridge requires a primary school for every 5 000 people and one secondary school with three feeder primary schools.
The town has an estimated population of 100 000 with three secondary and six primary schools.
“Besides infrastructure development, we also used our allocations to buy earth moving equipment, which is critical in terms of servicing stands and road maintenance and construction.
“Some of these have been paid for and we are awaiting delivery,” said Mr Mbedzi.
He said using devolution funds, the local authority was able to digitise services, acquire a solar-powered back -up system, and upgraded its local authorities’ digital systems (LADS) for budget formulation.
“The municipality intends to build a polyclinic, construct 25 two-roomed houses, procure a 20 000-litre bowser to augment the firefighting services, a tipper, a 12-tonne roller compactor, and an ambulance,” said Mr Mbedzi.
“We also intend to install public lights, buy tow service vehicles and drill two boreholes at strategic points.”
In a speech read on his behalf by Councillor Granger Nyoni, Beitbridge mayor Councillor Munyaradzi Chitsunge said they were no longer capacitated to carry out major projects on their own.
“Half the time, we had to hire machinery to carry out our projects. This has been an expensive exercise for us. We resolved that we should procure our own equipment in the form of yellow machines, such as the tractor loader backhoe, grader, and the jetting machine,” he said.
Cllr Chitsunge said as part of the smart city concept, the local authority partnered with local companies which include Rainbow Park, Croc Foods, Alpha Developers, and POSB to help spruce up the town. –@tupeyo
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