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It is a unique constituency endowed with a number of game parks, conservancies and timber logging enterprises.
But unfortunately, the larger population in the constituency is poor and lives in fear of wild animals that should benefit them. Generally, the electorate is up in arms against their representative whom they accuse of not being available just be with the people who elected him into office. They feel that if he wins another term in office, then they will be subject to ridicule from people from other constituencies who seem to be enjoying life, benefiting from the little resources they have as compared to their constituency. The people say their legislator has failed to deliver in all the time he has been in office.
This poor record appears to be the defining trend with almost all the MDC-T legislators, some of whom have appeared in court for abusing Constituency Development Fund (CDF), others accused of abusing the fund.
Chronicle interviewed villagers in Dete and Jambezi to get their views on their legislator. The people are fed up and they wish that President Mugabe calls for harmonised elections this year so that choose another MP.
Much of the constituency is facing transport problems as there are no buses to ferry people to and from Hwange or Victoria Falls town, the main business centres close to them.
Regarding education, some schools have no furniture yet the constituency has abundant timber that is being exploited by furniture manufacturing companies. Health issues are also of major concern with people dying from malaria every year. Shortage of water and poor sanitation are also major problems in the constituency as most of the boreholes that were drilled when the constituency was still held by Zanu-PF, have since broken down. As a result people and livestock are facing water shortage. Constituents say that their representative must take a leading role in rehabilitating the water points for the benefit of livestock and the surrounding communities.
The most topical issue is education in a constituency where zero percent pass rate at Grade Seven and Form Four examinations is very common.
Mrs Beauty Sibanda of Jambezi and a member of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), said the organisation was forced to engage a local bus company, Majamula Bus Service, to ply the Hwange-Victoria Falls-Jambezi-Mvuthu route in response to the plight of villagers who were forced to walk over 50km to catch a bus.
“To tell you the truth, the MP for this area is not available; he is invisible. People have tried to ask him for a meeting but he does not show up. We ended up approaching Majamula Bus Company and they responded by availing a bus for the people in this constituency.
“CCJP is also helping the villagers in areas such as education and health because we are there when they approach us,” she said.
She added that CCJP was also in the process of constructing a clinic in Sikubi Village after seeing the need of a health institution for the community.
Mrs Agatha Ncube of Ward 7 in Jambezi said villagers were unhappy as classrooms at Kanywambizi Primary School have no doors yet they were aware that the MP had received CDF.
“This is Kanywambizi Primary and the five classrooms have no doors, meaning no security for the books and the furniture. The school authorities are always in a quandary when schools close because they are not sure whether to leave the school premises or go for the holidays as they fear for the books and furniture,” she said.
Chronicle observed that most schools in the constituency had no window panes, doors and had no furniture.
Villagers said they felt that as their representative, Mr Sansole, should take the leading role in requesting timber and mining companies operating in their areas to come to their aid.
“We are aware that Hon Sansole cannot do all these things alone, but if only he could avail himself to us, sits down with us, maybe we could work something out. We read in the Chronicle that some MPs have constructed schools, provided ambulances and other development projects for their areas but not in our area.
“We will remain a laughing stock yet our constituency is endowed with natural resources.
“Right now elephants destroy our crops, hyenas and lions kill our livestock but he is not here for us,” said Mr James Sibindi from Dete.
Another villager, Mr Samson Mahoza, said: “We are no longer talking about irrigation schemes. We have run out of water. We have this party which alleges that it has access to donors but they are failing to deliver.”
The villagers said there was an urgent need to deploy more trained teachers into the constituency, complete construction of classrooms blocks to solve the problem of hot seating and elevate more secondary schools to A-Level status.
“We also need to see the deployment of more health personnel at all the health institutions to meet the health needs of the community,” said Mr Samson Moyo from Hwange.
When contacted for comment, Mr Sansole said it had been difficult for him to hold meetings with his constituents as the police in Matabeleland North Province would turn down his requests to hold public meetings.
“You have to request for permission to hold a meeting in the constituency and the police in Matabeleland North were constantly rejecting our requests.
“There has been an improvement over the past few months since the change of management of the police in Matabeleland North. Now the police are co-operating and over the past few months, we have had about nine meetings,” he said.
On concerns that he was out of touch, Mr Sansole said it was to be expected for some constituents to say that they did not know him.
“As an MP, you will never fail to have people who say they do not know you. Some do not take part in what happens in the constituency, which is why they do not know me. Others say that just to tarnish an MP’s image. However, there will always be people with positive feedback as well,” he said.
Turning to development in the constituency, Mr Sansole said they had managed to spearhead a number of projects in the constituency using the CDF that was allocated in the 2009/10 fiscal budget.
“There is a clinic in Mbizha Ward called Milonga which we managed to electrify. We also provided a 5 000-litre water tank for the clinic. This clinic was built about 10 years ago but it could not be opened because there was no electricity and water. The only thing that is left now is a water pump and the clinic can be opened,” he said.
In Jambezi, Mr Sansole said they had managed to roof a classroom at Kanywambizi Primary School.
“We were also able to electrify the clinic in Sidinda Ward as well as complete the solar battery room. We purchased material to furnish the staff houses at the clinic as well,” he said.
Mr Sansole said the major challenge remains that of water before the clinic can be opened.
“We have fenced the borehole and the community garden in Kasibo Village in Mashala Ward. At Mashala Primary School, where the school authorities are running a club called Mashala Tree Spread in which they have created a nursery of both indigenous and exotic trees as well as an orchard, garden crops and a poultry project, we managed to provide funds for a ground water tank and the construction of a fowl run,” he said.
Mr Sansole said they had also managed to buy classroom furniture for Simangani Primary School in Simangani.
“Prior to this donation, the children at this school used to sit on the floor and some of them would write lying on their stomachs,” he said.
More classroom furniture was supplied to Ndumichenga Primary School in Kamativi and Sangwa Primary School in Lupote. “We also bought classroom furniture for Makwandara Secondary School and electrified staff houses at Lambo Primary School in Makwandara Ward,” he said.
Mr Sansole said they had also managed to buy classroom furniture for Dingani Primary School in Silewu using the CDF.
Online Reporter