Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GWANDA District has initiated a comprehensive needs assessment across all urban and rural wards to prioritise development interventions, in line with the national devolution agenda.
According to Gwanda District Development Co-ordinator, Ms Nomathemba Ndlovu, the exercise aims to align development projects with the specific needs of communities, ensuring that resources are optimally utilised and projects are not wasted due to lack of community relevance.
Speaking about the initiative, Ms Ndlovu emphasised the importance of a bottom-up approach in decision-making.
“We want the communities to be the ones who will state the specific projects, which they want to see being implemented in their areas. We have started the process of consulting villagers in various wards,” she said.
Ms Ndlovu said the needs assessment will serve as a guiding document for both Government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the district.
“All stakeholders working in the district will help to plan per the needs assessment report. NGOs will no longer impose their programmes on communities. Instead, they will be expected to address the gaps identified by the needs assessment,” she said.
Ms Ndlovu said they are engaging villagers in all wards to identify the issues they want to prioritise.
She said this allows the communities themselves to dictate the types of development projects they need, ensuring these initiatives are people-centred and responsive to local challenges.
“As a district, we have started working on a needs assessment where we are engaging villagers in all wards to find out the issues they want to prioritise when it comes to development projects. This is in line with the devolution agenda where we want to devolve the process of identifying projects that will be implemented within communities,” said Ms Ndlovu.
Ms Ndlovu said the needs assessment will also play a pivotal role in achieving Vision 2030, as it aligns with key objectives under the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
She noted that the district will identify and enhance community-initiated projects.
“For instance, where a village may have started a garden project, the assessment will help identify areas where external support, such as the installation of a watering system, can further develop the initiative,” said Ms Ndlovu.
She said through identifying gaps in existing projects, communities can be helped to attain their desired development targets.
“This process will help prevent nepotism and ensure that projects are allocated based on real community needs. The days of imposing projects due to available funds or NGO targets are over. Planning will now be anchored on actual needs,” said Ms Ndlovu.
She said the district will also develop an annual development plan and programme for both urban and rural councils for the year 2025.
Gwanda Tshitaudze Member of Parliament, Cde Fisani Moyo, supported the initiative, stating that the needs assessment report would guide the development programmes in his constituency.
Cde Moyo has already launched several projects focusing on infrastructure, health, education, youth empowerment and water supply and reiterated that future projects will be people-driven.
The district also plans to develop an annual development plan for both urban and rural councils for 2025, based on the assessment report. — DubeMatutu
Online Reporter