Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
Kusile Rural District Council (RDC) has procured — through devolution funds — equipment and machinery worth over $50 million that will be used to carry out massive infrastructural development projects.
Government led by President Mnangagwa saw it prudent to operationalise the devolution concept as enshrined in the Constitution, resulting in five percent of fiscal disbursement from Treasury being made to local authorities.
The funds have transformed several districts in the Matabeleland region in particular and the country in general, as the Second Republic steps up the inclusive developmental philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind.
Devolution funds are assisting local authorities fulfil their obligation of ensuring improved access to social amenities across the country through development of key infrastructure such as clinics, classroom blocks, roads and bridges among other facilities.
Social amenities and infrastructure development are some of the major pillars of the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
A Chronicle news crew yesterday witnessed the commissioning of equipment and machinery which includes two 15 cubic metre tipper trucks, a tractor with a farm trailer, a tractor loader and back hoe and a Nissan NP300 single cab vehicle by Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo.
The equipment will be used for developing infrastructure including roads as well as transport building materials.
The devolution funds used to procure the equipment and machinery are part of $135 603 285 million allocated to the district.
Kusile RDC chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Hadebe said the equipment and machinery will be used to spearhead infrastructure projects in the district.
“The equipment will assist in completing infrastructure development projects such as construction of roads and classroom blocks around the district,” he said.
Mr Hadebe also said it will help reduce costs of hiring vehicles for developmental projects.
“We bought these so that all the building materials that we buy we don’t hire trucks to transport to schools or building sites, hence cutting down costs to the RDC. We can now buy the material ourselves from Bulawayo and then transport,” said Mr Hadebe.
The Nissan NP300 single cab is to be used to monitor projects, Mr Hadebe said.
He said the local authority was declared an RDC in 1994, but had no tipper truck ever since.
“The RDC welcomes this development as it will go a long way in service delivery as we haven’t had a tipper truck since 1994. We only have had tractors over the years.
“The machinery and equipment used up $53 million while $33 million was used to drill a borehole, build classrooms and clinics,” said Mr Hadebe.
He said there are nine schools where classroom blocks were completed and cottages at two others are under construction.
Mr Hadebe said the schools that had classroom blocks completed are Umthombowesizwe and Thokozani secondary schools, as well as Gobakhulu, Elihlo, Ziqalabeni, Simunyu, Mazwa and Mqabuko primary schools.
“All the classroom blocks at these schools are 100 percent complete. There are three cottages in the RDC that have not been completed as we bought some of the material, but because the devolution funds ran out, the project had to stop,” said Mr Hadebe.
He said through the devolution funds, the RDC has drilled three boreholes and solar-equipped them so that communities can access water in case of power cuts.
Mr Hadebe said the boreholes were drilled at Jotsholo Sub Office, Dingani and Mkhombo.
Lupane West legislator Martin Khumalo said more projects will be completed following the procurement of the machinery and equipment.
“This has helped us as Lupane as we had challenges during big projects as we had to hire equipment and it’s very expensive. Roads are being cleared and dip tanks are being constructed and we didn’t have equipment to complete these projects,” he said.
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Richard Moyo, who commissioned the equipment, said RDCs such as Kusile are instrumental in achieving Vision 2030.
“It is critical that as an RDC, a third tier of Government, mandated to execute at the local level Government programmes designed to meet aspirations of the local community, we feed into the national vision. As such,
Kusile RDC, like all local authorities in Zimbabwe, is a vital cog for the attainment of Vision 2030,” said Minister Moyo.
He said Kusile RDC will now be able to attend to roads in line with Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme.
“This equipment has placed the council in a position to effectively attend to the district roads and fits well with the utilisation of the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), a programme launched by
His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe Dr ED Mnangagwa, following the declaration in 2021 that all roads were in a State of Disaster,” said Minister Moyo.
He commended Kusile RDC for using devolution funds to build classroom blocks and clinics.
“I would like to take this opportunity to applaud and congratulate Kusile RDC for being able to assemble such critical equipment and putting in place such social services meant to advance child rights in form of classroom blocks and clinics construction.
“I encourage you to ensure that the equipment and machinery is properly managed to increase its lifespan by adhering to prescribed service, repair and maintenance guidelines,” said Minister Moyo.
He challenged local authorities in Matabeleland North to follow suite and to prioritise the procurement of goods and machinery that will transform the lives of the people and services that will render a difference in people’s lives, and to fast-track development of all devolution projects for commissioning before year end.
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