adminThe opening of the provincial registry in Lupane, we hope, will assist the people of Matabeleland North to get important national documents like birth certificates, identification documents and passports with ease.
As we reported yesterday, people in the province have all along been forced to travel to Bulawayo to get passports and other documents as the Bulawayo Registry was the only one with such a facility.
This flew in the face of Government’s policy of decentralisation of services to provincial and district levels.
With the handover of the registry complex, we look forward to the relocation of other important Government departments to Lupane so that services are brought right to the people’s doorsteps.
Lupane was declared provincial capital for Matabeleland North in 1999 and since then, developing the area into a fully-fledged town befitting a provincial capital has been slow.
At one point, there was bickering within Government as to the choice of Lupane as the provincial capital, with others preferring that status to be bestowed on Hwange.
There is no doubt that Lupane is the least developed provincial capital in Zimbabwe and pales into insignificance when compared with other provincial capitals like Gwanda in Matabeleland South, Chinhoyi in Mashonaland West, Bindura in Mashonaland Central and Marondera in Mashonaland East.
It is therefore saddening to note that construction of Government projects in Lupane continues to move at a snail’s pace. The construction of the provincial registry complex, we are told, actually took 10 years.
We urge Government to expedite the construction of other projects in the area such as Lupane State University, Elitsheni Government complex, which will house all Government departments, and staff accommodation for civil servants who will relocate to the area.
Lupane must be transformed from a dusty, sleepy business centre and underdeveloped area into a fully-fledged modern town with all the infrastructure befitting a provincial
capital.
In the Midlands, Gokwe has now been transformed into a town and this has largely been attributed to economic activities around cotton, which is grown in the area.
We believe if the methane gas reserves and timber in Lupane are fully exploited, Lupane could quickly grow into a modern town owing to the economic activities around those resources. There are investors waiting to invest in natural gas in Lupane and the onus is now upon Government to make sure that the gas is exploited.
Private business must complement Government efforts to develop Lupane. The model of diamond companies in Marange which have developed modern houses in the area could be used in Lupane as an example of how the private sector can partner Government in development.
In declaring Lupane a provincial capital back in 1999, Government’s aim was to bring development to the area so that it also grows from scratch into a developed town with all the infrastructure in place.
While this has been a tall order due to limited resources, we believe Government has played and continues to play its part despite the budgetary constraints and the slow progress. Government can only play an enabling role by putting in place infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, schools and bring essential services closer to the people.
Private business need to come on board and partner Government in developing Lupane.
Online Reporter