Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
For years, many villagers in Beitbridge District had to walk tens of kilometres to reach the nearest clinic, while nurses worked in dilapidated buildings with no electricity, no running water, and no decent accommodation.
Today, that picture is slowly changing, thanks to devolution funds disbursed through the Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfer (IGFT) system.
Acting Beitbridge Rural District Council (BBRDC) chief executive officer, Mr Peter Ncube, said the funds have allowed the council to address long-standing service delivery gaps in the district directly.
“Devolution funds have changed the face of service delivery in Beitbridge Rural. We are now able to build and rehabilitate clinics, schools and other infrastructure using funds allocated directly to the district,” said Mr Ncube.
He said between 2019 and March 2023, the local authority received ZWL$156 819 986,70 in devolution funds, which it channelled directly into clinics, schools, water systems, and service-delivery equipment across the district.
Of that amount, Mr Ncube said the council had, by April 2023, spent ZWL$77 989 967,88 on materials, equipment, vehicles and labour, with the balance committed to equipping Dumba Clinic and paying for a supervision vehicle.
“We have spent ZWL$77 989 967,88 on materials, equipment, vehicles and labour costs. The balance is already committed to the purchase of equipment for Dumba Clinic and payment of the supervision vehicle,” he said.
For rural Beitbridge, where health infrastructure had lagged behind the fast-growing border town, the impact has been most visible in the health sector.
Mr Ncube said at Dumba, devolution funds were used to build a new clinic from scratch, with the construction of the waste management zone and Blair toilets (pit latrines) now complete, save for roofing and fencing of the waste management area.
He said electrical tubing and wiring for both the main clinic and staff houses had also been completed and had been approved by ZESA, with an application for electricity connection now in progress. A tank stand has also been installed.
“Construction of the waste management zone and Blair toilets is complete, save for the roofing and fencing of the waste management area. Electrical tubing and wiring for both the main clinic and staff houses is complete and approved by ZESA,” said Mr Ncube.
He said once complete, Dumba Clinic will bring primary health care closer to a community that previously had to travel long distances for basic treatment, maternal care and child health services.
At Shashe Clinic, Mr Ncube said devolution funds paid for the re-roofing of the main clinic building and replacement of the ceiling and that the clinic is now fully functional.
“Reroofing of the main clinic building is complete, and also the ceiling has been replaced; the clinic is now functional,” he said.
“At Chabili Clinic, the council constructed two F14 staff houses and electrified the clinic and staff houses. Plumbing works for three staff houses have been completed and reticulation done, and the clinic has since been commissioned to service the community in Beitbridge East”.
“The clinic has also been electrified. Reticulation has been done. Three staff houses plumbing works are complete.”
The investment in staff accommodation is critical in the province (Matabeleland South), where clinics have struggled to retain nurses and other health workers because of poor housing.
It is understood that by building and electrifying staff houses, the council is addressing one of the biggest barriers to staffing rural facilities.
“A sluice was installed at Mazunga Clinic using devolution funds. All water connections and repairs are done. ZESA has approved all the structures for connection,” said Mr Ncube.
“In addition, at Zezani Clinic, devolution funds were used for emergency works after heavy storms on January 29, 2023 blew off the roof of the clinic staff house. The house has since been re-roofed.”
He said while primary health care services had taken centre stage, devolution funds had also supported education and service delivery in the district.
At Novhe Primary School, which is now open, two classroom blocks and two F14 staff houses were completed, two squat holes for staff houses were built, and a borehole was drilled and equipped.
“Two classroom blocks were completed, two staff houses were also completed, and two squat holes for the staff houses were completed, and the borehole was drilled and equipped,” said Mr Ncube.
He said they also spent their allocation on repairing classroom blocks damaged by storms at Mapani (Number 14) Primary School, Tshitulipasi Secondary School, Chabeta Primary School, and Mpande Primary School.
Additionally, the council also used the funds to purchase a front-end loader/backhoe, a supervision vehicle from AMTEC, and started the construction of cattle sale pens at Madibeng in Ward 9.
Despite the progress, he said implementation has faced serious challenges, including frequent changes in material costs, late disbursement of funds, policy changes affecting prices, the unavailability of reputable local contractors, the lack of a supervision vehicle, and difficulties hiring casual labour in local currency.
For Beitbridge Rural, the devolution story is one of tangible change: clinics that were leaking now have new roofs, clinics that were in darkness now have electricity, nurses who had no houses now have accommodation, and communities that had no clinic are about to get one.
It is a model the Government hopes to replicate across the country as it pushes devolution as a key pillar of Vision 2030, bringing development and decision-making closer to the people.
