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Government has granted town status to Mpandawana Growth Point in Gutu.
This will see Mpandawana Town separated from Gutu Rural District Council, with its own councillors and boundaries.
Masvingo provincial administrator Mr Felix Chikovo told The Herald last week that the development followed findings by a Government commission established last year to study feasibility of upgrading the growth point’s status.
Mr Chikovo said the commission also recommended adoption of proposed boundaries between Mpandawana Town and Gutu RDC.
“We have not yet received a formal letter from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on that development, but from the information that we have, the request for Mpandawana to be granted town status was approved,” he said. “We expect to receive written confirmation soon.’’
Mr Chikovo said the Gutu Residents and Ratepayers Association wrote to Government a few years ago requesting an upgrade of Mpandawana to town status owing to the growth point’s growing population.
The request for town status was also inspired by the need to attract investment and modern infrastructure and services.
“The turning of Mpandawana into a town will see revenue generated there being used to further develop the urban settlement through expanding infrastructure such as sewer and water reticulation, roads and even residential areas in a far more localised areas because currently revenue generated at the growth is being scattered to also cover a large rural area in Gutu,” said Mr Chikovo.
The growth point becomes the second town in the province after Chiredzi, with Masvingo City as the provincial capital.
Online Reporter