Andrew
Lovemore Chazingwa
Sunday Mail Correspondent
KADOMA City Council has partnered a real estate company, Craft Properties Holdings (CPH), to rehabilitate roads that had become unnavigable due to damage caused by heavy rains, giving fresh impetus to the devolution programme.
The move is part of the private sector’s efforts to complement Government’s devolution initiative, which has seen Treasury committing $42, 5 billion in 2022 for developmental projects in all parts of the country.
Road rehabilitation works in Kadoma are being carried out in the suburb of Munhumutapa, which harbours close to 1 000 households and was one of the worst affected by a poor road network and dilapidated infrastructure. CPH recently made a donation of materials including cement, quarry stones, sand and gravel to refurbish roads in Munhumutapa.
The company joined hands with City of Kadoma and the office of the Sanyati District Development Co-ordinator (DDC) to bring a facelift to the suburb.
In an interview, CPH director Professor Kudakwashe Taruberekera said council officials had approached his company with a plea for assistance.
“After being approached by the local authority officials, our motivation in giving them support is that we fully support Government’s national devolution programme. But we also understand that Government cannot do it alone and as the private sector, we can chip in where we can to ensure that devolution becomes a success.”
Prof Taruberekera said residents of Munhumutapa suburb had, for a long time, been burdened with the challenge of rainwater flowing into their homes.
“The heavy rains experienced last season, as well as this season brought untold suffering to this community. The worst was when a tarred road connecting West View and Rimuka suburbs, going past this location, was swept away. Such was the intensity of the rains. The refurbishments that have been done will ensure that such extensive damage is a thing of the past,” he said.
He said they had agreed on a working model with Kadoma City Council and the DDC’s office after a team from the Mashonaland West provincial office was deployed to assess the extent of damage in Munhumutapa suburb. “After the DDC was appraised of the situation in the suburb, council approached us, since our company was already involved in road maintenance works. We worked together with the City of Kadoma to draw a work plan on how we could work in unison. We offered to donate all the material needed. Council then informed us that they had equipment acquired from devolution funds,” said Prof Taruberekera. City of Kadoma Mayor Alderman Action Nyamukondiwa said the partnership with CPH brings a refreshing dimension to the devolution programme.
“We’re happy to be partnering CPH in this project which benefits this community. If we get partners to work with, we really appreciate taking them on board. This brings a whole new and exciting dimension to the devolution programme.”
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