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Fungai Lupande
Mash Central Bureau
Rushinga Rural District Council (RDC) intends to construct eight health facilities using devolution funds this year to tame malaria cases.
The district is one of the country’s malaria-prone areas.
RDC chief executive officer Mr Paradzai Munyede said they had fewer clinics in the area and the battle now was to have at least one clinic in each ward.
Nyatsato Clinic was completed last year with the help of devolution funds and it is not only benefiting the people of Rushinga, but also assisting people from Mozambique who live close to the border. Presently, work on the construction of Chimutukutu Health Centre, Gwangwava Clinic and Kasika health post is in progress.
“Chimutukutu Clinic will benefit about 5 000 people and we are now working on the plumbing. Total cost of the clinic was $2 457 000,” said Mr Munyede.
“This year we are targeting to construct and complete eight health posts because we have very few clinics in Rushinga. This district is prone to malaria and we want every ward to have a clinic to ensure access to health care by all communities.”
Mr Munyede said they spearheaded construction of Mukosa police post drawing from devolution funds to increase police presence at Mukumbura Border Post, which leads into Mozambique.
Construction of Mukosa Police Post is almost complete and will be officially opened sometime next month, all things being equal.
“Cases of gender based violence and early child marriages are rife in Rushinga and there was no early response to GBV cases due to lack of police presence,” said Mr Munyede.
“This prompted us to construct the police post. We had targeted to complete the police post in the first quarter of this year. However, progress was stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic and we are optimistic that the post will be complete by April.
“People were travelling 30km to Chimandau Police Post in Ward 3 to report their cases. We were also worried by the uncontrolled movement of people from Zimbabwe and Mozambique during this pandemic. Smuggling is rife at the border and people from Mozambique cross into Zimbabwe and cut down trees.”
The police post will assist over 5 000 people in wards 1, 2 and part of 3. Water has already been supplied and the local authority has plans to put in place a solar system. The community is assisting with locally available materials.
In their five-year plan, Mr Munyede said they wanted to build a primary boarding school and they had already budgeted for it.
The district has several satellite schools and they have registered nine of them, to ease school challenges.
“Shortage of schools in the district contributed to poor pass rates as learners travelled for 15 kilometres from satellite schools, which could not host examinations, to parent schools,” said Mr Munyede.
“The new environment affected learners and some were bullied. We no longer have any pole and dagga schools because we upgraded them all.
“At Katakura Secondary School we have completed two blocks and we are working together with World Vision. We want to establish a primary boarding school after realising that we only have four in the province.”
Online Reporter