Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka, Zimpapers Politics Hub
MATABELELAND South province has set its teams in motion as it intensifies preparations for the 46th National Independence Day and Children’s Party Celebrations set for Maphisa Open Space in Matobo District next April.
The hosting of the national Uhuru event is poised to be a catalyst for significant infrastructure development, which is already underway.
In an interview with Zimpapers, Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Albert Nguluvhe, said groundwork for the celebrations began when a team of Government departments from Matabeleland South recently visited Midlands Province on a “Look-and-Learn” tour.
The Midlands province hosted this year’s celebrations at Nembudziya Growth Point in Gokwe North.
“Recently, we have been in the Midlands Province as a team from Matabeleland South Province. It was a team from Government departments from my province on a ‘Look-and-Learn’ visit to Midlands Province,” said Minister Nguluvhe.
“We went there to learn, to understand the challenges and how they resolve those challenges, how they are organised, and what the requirements are to make that thing a success.
“We learned a lot, and we’ll continue working with them because there was a lot we learnt from them. What it means is that we have to put our logistics in place together.”
Minister Nguluvhe said the province will not wait for resources from the Government alone and has adopted an “Ilima” approach to resource mobilisation, a traditional practice where people come together as a community to assist one another with a large task.
“We have started, but you know, more resources are yet to come. But we have met, and we have agreed that we are going to call all RDCs (Rural District Councils), so that will bring them in and see what we can do as a province,” he said.
“So, we will do more like an ‘ilima,’ where we have to mobilise our resources. We can’t wait for resources from the Government only. We have started to mobilise resources on our own.”
The celebrations will also accelerate the rehabilitation of key roads in the province, including the Gwanda-Maphisa and Bulawayo-Maphisa roads.
“The rehabilitation of the road between Gwanda and Kezi has started. The road from Bulawayo to Matopo, we have also started, and Tshelanyemba has also started,” the Minister said.
“So, it shows we are doing something as a province. But I think in a month, we will be now in full gear after we have mobilised road maintenance equipment and we are now working on mobilising fuel.”
The Gwanda-Maphisa and Bulawayo-Maphisa road upgrades are set to significantly improve connectivity and economic activity in the region.
The Bulawayo-Maphisa Road will also be extended to Mphoengs on the border with Botswana, fostering regional connectivity and promoting economic growth.
In a bid to beat the rainy season, Minister Nguluvhe said the province is aiming to have the road works completed by March next year.
“We are trying to beat the rainy season so that by March next year we are done,” he said.
The minister further said the province is also engaging service providers to ensure a seamless event.
“We have also started to write letters to service providers, like those in the telecommunications industry, so that we can improve the network.
“We have started to write letters to them. You know, all those things. We are already on the ground,” he said.
The hosting of the national event in Matobo District is a key part of the Second Republic’s devolution of national events, which is inspired by President Mnangagwa’s philosophy of “leaving no one and no place behind.”
The rotation of national celebrations plays a vital role in preserving and entrenching the memory of national liberation across the country, serving as a powerful tool for collective remembrance and the formation of national identity.
