adminWimbainashe Zhakata Mutare Correspondent
LOCAL leaders in Zimunya and Marange communities on Monday met to deliberate on how to disburse the $5 million recently availed to the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust by Government.
The event was attended by officials from Mutare Rural District Council and chiefs, while the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Monica Mutsvangwa was represented by Mutare District Administrator Mr Wilson Bore.
Mr Bore said top on the priority list for both communities was the completion of clinics whose construction and utilisation had been put on hold due to lack of funds.
“We wish to highlight that under constituency projects, we still have two clinics that are yet to be completed, that is Madanga Clinic in Mutare South and Matiza Clinic in Mutare West. It shall, therefore, be noted that following the receipt of $5 million, which was handed over to the trust by the President on June 18, the two uncompleted clinic projects in Mutare West and South shall be given preference and the engineer has already engaged the respective councillors to mobilise locally available materials,” he said.
He said the trust, in partnership with Mutare Rural District Council, had since ventured into various community projects as chosen and prioritised by the communities after they received the money from Government.
The cheque, from State entity Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), was presented to the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership board of trustees by President Mnangagwa on June 18.
Mr Bore said to avoid mismanagement of the funds, strategic planning processes should be carried out to ensure that the money was used for enterprise development and targeted infrastructural development.
“Efforts will also be made to ensure that after a period of time, there will be evidence of good use of the money on the ground and that the intended beneficiaries within the Zimunya and Marange communities are benefiting,” he said
Speaking on the same occasion, Chief Marange said after Marange-Zimunya communities were given $5 million to share, they had seen it fit to implement capital projects.
He also expressed hope that the money would be used productively, unlike in the past when it allegedly “vanished”.
“We have $5 million to use in our community for refurbishing infrastructure such as bridges or for other developments that need to be done in the community.
“We want the community to benefit. It is the needs of the villagers that matter.
“We also want to benefit young people in this area in terms of employment,” said Chief Marange.
Manicaland Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde Mike Madiro, who also attended the meeting, encouraged members of the trust to use the money rather than keep it since there were chances of it being affected by inflation.
Mr Madiro said: “Keeping the money does not help because there is inflation in our Zimbabwean economy, so I encourage you to use it before it loses value.”
Online Reporter