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Wilbrought Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
The Matobo District Development Committee is working on a number of developmental projects within the district which range from health service delivery, dam construction and drilling of boreholes.
In an interview with Sunday News, Matobo District Development Co-ordinator Mr Obey Chaputsira revealed that among the projects, they were working on the construction of clinics in all the wards in Matobo to help improve provision of health care services.
“We commissioned Umlugulu Clinic last month and we also have Nhlupho Clinic which were constructed using devolutions funds. We are also working on clinics in Ratanyana, Malaba and Sontala, which all are community initiatives while Manyane Clinic is being constructed using council funds. We are also constructing an expecting mothers’ waiting shelter at Silozwi Clinic in Ward 16 with the assistance of ZimParks. Our goal is to have every ward to have a clinic so as to reduce the distance patients have to walk to get health care,” said Mr Chaputsira.
He said they are working on other key projects that include rehabilitation of irrigation schemes and construction of roads through funding from the Government.
“On agriculture, we are rehabilitating Midlo Irrigation Scheme in Ward 14, where we are putting up a 12-hectare centre pivot through funding from Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO). We are also at tendering stage at Mbembeswana Irrigation with nine hectares which will be under drip irrigation and also Mambale Irrigation which is 23 hectares.
On roads, the council through the Government funded Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme there is the grading of La Concord Road (16km) and Malundi-Makwe Road (32km). This improves accessibility of the given areas and also opens an economic corridor because if an area is accessible there will be more economic activity. Since Makwe Irrigation Scheme was rehabilitated, the road reduces the distance from Makwe to Bulawayo which is a major market of their produce. The construction of two sand dams in Ward 21 through assistance from Dabane Trust will also lead to improved provision of water for both humans and livestock,” said Mr Chaputsira.
Mr Chaputsira said the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has also drilled boreholes with the assistance of a local farmer, Mr Dean le Roux to ensure the provision of water to the communities.
“Zinwa drilled five boreholes through assistance from our local farmer Dean le Roux who is in partnership with Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda). The boreholes will ensure provision of water for both livestock and human beings in wards 3, 4, 19 and 20. He will further assist in feeding 1 000 cattle from wards 3, 4, 19 and 20 so as to save them from the drought situation,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu