Hwange West: A lot on the plate for new MP

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter 

MR Vusumuzi Moyo is the new Hwange West constituency Member of Parliament after winning the election on 23 August.

A member of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), he takes over from fellow party mate Mr Godfrey Dube who had been MP since 2018 and was allegedly blocked from contesting the primary elections by party leader Mr Nelson Chamisa.

In the election, Mr Moyo contested against outgoing Victoria Falls mayor Somveli Dlamini who chose to try his luck in the House of Assembly after five years of being mayor, and Zanu PF’s Cde Philani Moyo. The new MP is starting from an infant’s first step in terms of projects on the ground, and has big task to prove himself in the next five years.

The one he beat, Cde Moyo had empowered communities with clean water and food security through nutritional gardens around the constituency where he sunk and solarised more than 10 boreholes over the years. He is still continuing with the projects in the communities despite having lost the election. Before coming into office in 2018, Mr Dube worked with partners to spearhead some projects in schools and in the community in general. Combined with Constituency Development Funds, he managed to implement several projects, some which were completed while some were still underway when he left office. Mr Dube said his vision was to empower the community.

“My approach is to partner with the community and these were some of my projects. When I visited the schools some were in bad shape. Chikandakubi had no security fence. The school now gets uniforms free of charge for learners. The plan was to solarise the borehole to support the school and clinic and we were planning to drill a separate borehole for the community and all equipment is there. The projects have transformed the community and improved livelihoods. 

Villagers get money for their families while the school gets vegetables for the schools’ feeding programme from the garden and livestock have water too.

 There is a commitment from my partners to build a clinic as there has been no health facility in Chewumba since 1958 and villagers walk to Sacred Heart Mission or Ndlovu which is 13km away,” said Mr Dube during a recent visit to the projects.

In the city, he had initiated the process for construction of a library as well as a 2 500-seater hall that is set to be the biggest conference centre in the resort city of Victoria Falls.

The new MP, a Victoria Falls born man who did his primary education at Chinotimba Primary and secondary at Marist Brothers in Dete believes he can fill the shoes and develop the constituency. He is pursuing a degree in Business Administration and joined politics in 1999 as a youth when the Movement for Democratic Change was formed. He is a former councillor for Ward 9 in Victoria Falls after coming in through a by-election in 2001 and was deputy mayor of the city between 2002 and 2003.

He has held several portfolios in his party where he is the current Hwange cluster chair and said his vision is to advocate for better legislation on human and wildlife conflict and compensation of affected citizens.

“I’m honored to be representing my hometown and I look forward to bringing all citizens and stakeholders together for development,” said Hon Moyo.

Working as a tailor at Old Market shops, Hon Moyo said he will empower SMEs, curio vendors in particular with upgrading of the curio market to ensure the informal traders reach a wider market. Curio vending is Victoria Falls’ booming informal business, leveraging on tourism.

“We will upgrade curio market stalls and make sure people sell on the global market 24:7. This is work in progress as we have started designing a website and online stores lobbying for a modern youth centre and the construction of the Lupane Tourism School. I have a number of projects that I will champion even in rural areas like boreholes, dip tank rehabilitation and even construction of new ones. Over and above I assure the citizens that I will constantly give them feedback and engage on every strategic issue of their concern,” he said.