adminThe development of the areas, which include Gwayi, Jotsholo, St Luke’s and others, comes after Lupane Urban was handed over to the Lupane Urban Board in 2009.
Kusile RDC chief executive officer, Mr Mhlaseli Mpofu, said their main focus was now on the Victoria Falls Road, which is a major tourist route.
He said the developments were expected to provide accommodation in the province and create employment for more than 5 000 people, thus alleviating hunger in the province.
Mr Mpofu said the developments would massively change the outlook of Lupane and its surrounding areas. “Since we lost Lupane Urban to the Urban Board, our main focus is now on the areas dotted along the Victoria Falls Road, where a lot of activities have already started taking place. There has been an influx of mining companies, as well as human activity in Gwayi and Jotsholo,” said Mr Mpofu.
“Companies such as China Africa Sunlight have already started exploring coal and methane gas to produce electricity so as to contribute to the main electricity grid.” He said the council had also engaged the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) in its development programmes.
“The Government is our major investor and we are looking forward to partnering with a lot of companies that are willing to see our area grow. We are working with Zinwa in a bid to establish a proper reticulation system to meet the demand of the growing urban area of Lupane,” said Mr Mpofu.
He said the council had also availed residential stands in Gwayi to cater for companies operating in that area. “We have noticed that the influx of human activity in Gwayi was calling for the provision of residential stands. We have since availed stands to the local people and we have made arrangements for people to pay in installments so that outsiders do not have an advantage over locals. Local people have always been complaining that they were being sidelined from developmental projects in the area, so we want to make sure that they are incorporated in every project that we venture into,” said Mr Mpofu.
He said the council had availed 18 industrial stands, 24 small commercial stands and 20 residential stands, most of which have been taken.
“Most of the availed stands have been taken, but there is still provision for the expansion of Gwayi and Jotsholo, especially for mining companies, who might want to accommodate workers. We are also looking at the construction of two lodges, restaurants and truck inns. We want a situation whereby people from Lupane can travel to Jotsholo, which is only 34km, on a daily basis to work, just like people travel from Norton to Harare for work,” said Mr Mpofu.
He said Jotsholo was also earmarked for an aerodrome because the one in Lupane had been converted into a residential area.
He urged locals to take advantage of the developments taking place in all the areas along the Victoria Falls Road.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter