dyton mupawaenda
Africa Moyo and Patrick Chitumba
SENIOR Government officials, ZANU PF Politburo members and ruling party directors yesterday descended on Nembudziya in Gokwe North District, where the main Independence Day national celebrations will be held, to assess progress made in preparing for the event.
This year’s Independence celebrations are running under the theme: “Zim@45: Devolve and develop together towards Vision 2030.”
The Midlands province is working to bring together about 100 000 people to the main venue on April 18 for the 45th independence anniversary.
From the ZANU PF side, high profile officials in attendance were Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, and National Political Commissioner Cde Munyaradzi Machacha.
Government officials were led by Deputy Chief Secretary Finance, Administration and Human Resources Mr Zvinechimwe Churu, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Torerayi Moyo, Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe, Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube and Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini.
Giving an overview of progress ahead of next Friday’s Independence Day national celebrations, Mr Edgars Seenza, the Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary for Midlands said several key construction and renovation activities across multiple sites, including the main arena at Gokwe North Open Grounds, gala site at Nembudziya High School, and the Children’s Party venue at Nyamuroro High School had been done.
Key milestones at the open grounds include the completion of the football pitch, terraces, and the construction of ablution facilities, classrooms, and changing rooms.
Mr Seenza said overall progress was satisfactory with lawn planting now 100 percent complete on the football pitch where the main event will be held. Top-soiling and levelling of bumpy areas on the pitch is in progress.
Outstanding works include ground marking and installation of dugouts and goal posts.
At the changing rooms, roofing was complete while internal and external plastering was 90 percent complete. The first external coat of paint has been applied.
Door and window frame fixing, electrical reticulation (first fix), and sewer line laying to the septic tank are also 100 percent complete, he said.
On ablution facilities, Mr Seenza said roofing and electrical reticulation was complete for all six facilities. Sewer lines to the septic tank were 100 percent complete for ablution facilities 1, 2 and 6 while sewer lines from the ablutions to the mainline were 100 percent complete for ablution facilities 3, 4, and 5.
External plastering was 10 percent complete for ablution facilities while roofing is 80 percent complete.
Brickwork and concreting for the four terraces was 100 percent complete, with outstanding works being plastering and installation of about 250 bucket seats that have already been supplied.
Mr Seenza said perimeter fencing installation was 90 percent complete.
At the gala site at Nembudziya High School, ablution block roofing was 100 percent complete while internal plastering was 50 percent complete, and laying of sewer lines from the ablution block to the septic tank was 100 percent complete.
Roofing, external plastering, and the first external paint coat of the two classroom blocks was complete.
At the administration block, roofing was 85 percent complete, while truss installation is in progress and strong room steel fixing was 90 percent complete.
Mr Seenza said at the Children’s Party venue at Nyamuroro High School, construction was at an advanced stage.
At Nyamuroro Vocational Training Centre, Mr Seenza said construction of the female hostel was complete.
At Gokwe North District Hospital there is a new mortuary that is under construction, with progress also satisfactory.
Both the Zanu PF and Government delegations were happy with the progress and were optimistic that come April 18, the people will have celebrations to remember.
As Independence Day draws closer, provinces have since selected their child delegates to attend the Children’s Party on April 17 at Nyamuroro High School, and the main Independence celebrations at Nembudziya on the following day.
Just over 3 000 child delegates are expected to attend the Children’s Party.
Arrival of child delegates from the provinces starts next Tuesday.
The decentralisation of Independence Day celebrations, introduced by the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa, has been welcomed by the people as it leaves legacy infrastructure development in host provinces.
Bulawayo provinces was the first to host the devolved Independence Day commemorations in 2022, followed by Mashonaland Central in 2023 and Manicaland last year.
All the rural provinces benefited significantly from infrastructure development.
Apart from the construction of classroom blocks and roads in Nembudziya, 74 village, vocational training centre and school business units are being put in place and are set to be completed in time for the 45th Independence celebrations.
The development will also leave at least 7 400 households with clean and safe water as the business units come with communal water points.
The village and school business units are being established under the ongoing Presidential Rural Development Programme, which seeks to radically improve rural livelihoods and transform rural communities into active economic participants.
As of Tuesday, 28 business units had been completed while work on the remaining 46 is in progress.
Beneficiaries include: Nyamuroro Secondary in Nembudziya, Nyamuroro Primary School, Nyamuroro Vocational Training Centre, Tafara Primary School in Gumunyu, Dukaupfu Secondary in Ward 13 Nembudziya, Tongogara Primary School in Ward 24, Gura Primary School in Ward 6 Chireya, Nembudziya Government High School, Chaminuka Primary School in Ward 20 Gumunyu, Rugare Primary School in Ward 18 Gumunyu, Nyamuponda Primary School in Ward 12 Nembudziya, Mhumha Secondary School in Ward 13 Nembudziya, Buno Primary School in Ward 36 Nembudziya, Kuedza Primary School in Ward 26, and Rubatsiro Clinic.
Villages where the establishment of village business units is now at an advanced stage include Nyika 2 (Ward 16, Gumunyu), Mabika (Ward 17, Gumunyu), Murota (Ward 10, Chireya), Tafirei (Ward 9, Chireya), Chiwa (Ward 4, Chireya), Dambamazura (Ward 7, Chireya), Hwadze 9A (Ward 20, Gumunyu), Mudavanhu (Ward 13, Nembudziya), Masutu (Ward 11, Nembudziya), Chimera (Ward 29, Kabuyuni) Madongwe (Ward 28, Kabuyuni) and Mukomboni (Ward 36, Nembudziya), among others.
Online Reporter