Letters to the Editor: Lupane filling station not serving its purpose

Martin Stobart

THERE is a fuel filling station here in Lupane urban within the Lupane Local Board area of jurisdiction along the Bulawayo Victoria Falls highway. At best of best of times the fuel supply is erratic and as we speak the garage has been empty for a long time and to all intents and purpose is just a symbol of status for the owner and is serving no useful purpose for the community of the district. Your readers still recall that there was some time ago a controversy over the ownership of this facility.

This filling station is serving no practical purpose as I have just said. In fact, it is clearly an impediment to progressive development to the provincial capital and in particular when cognisance is taken of the circumstances in which it was established in the first place.

It is apparent that only the owner’s symbolic status is being protected as he himself is a businessperson in absentia represented by proxy caretakers to whom we are paying allowances monthly. 

There is also another issue very much familiar to the above. The Public Service Commission not so long ago advertised for the post of accountant at its province’s district. The successful candidate was someone from some distant place. This notwithstanding the fact that among the applicants there were locals possessing the requisite qualifications and who had accommodation in town and were born within the district.