adminDr Mpofu noted that there were many tourism companies, hotels and mining companies operating in the district, such as Hwange Colliery Company, which he said communities and their leadership should have a stake in.
The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act compels foreign-owned firms to cede at least a 51 percent stake to indigenous Zimbabweans.
Addressing Chiefs Shana and Mvutu, Victoria Falls Town Clerk, Mr Godfrey Maphosa, councillors, Government officials and members of the Combined Victoria Falls Residents Association after donating a 5,5KVA generator to Chinotimba Clinic in Victoria Falls yesterday, Dr Mpofu said before and after independence, a lot of tourism companies were milking the country’s natural resources without benefiting locals and the country at large.
“The community ownership scheme is coming to Victoria Falls. There are many companies, hotels and even Hwange Colliery Company from which chiefs and the communities they are operating in should benefit. I am going to talk to Kasukuwere (Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere) on the community share ownership scheme,” said Dr Mpofu.
“I approached some people at the Stanley and Livingstone Hotel and asked them what they had done for the community they are operating in and I am glad that they have promised to drill boreholes and build schools which they should have done long back.
“We must take advantage of Government programmes like the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment exercise to benefit our communities.”
Dr Mpofu said tourism companies should not be allowed to continue externalising profits at the expense of locals.
He said the Hwange District and other parts of Matabeleland North Province were underdeveloped, but there were companies that were taking away resources.
“There are no quality schools here in Victoria Falls and parents with money take their children to schools in Bulawayo. At the end of the day companies do not want to employ locals saying that they are not educated yet they are doing nothing to improve that education.
“My dream is to build a state-of-the-art school, which will be for free to locals and will provide sound education so that our children are educated. I want to invest in education because I had a hard time looking for schools when I was growing up,” he said.
“We got our independence after a protracted war and we also want economic empowerment for our people. We are talking about all Zimbabweans and no tribalism or partisanship here. Tribalism is primitive.”
Dr Mpofu also said politics of development was good for the nation, adding that able people should work for the development of their areas so as to attract expatriates.
“As I talk development, they have been saying that I have bought the whole of Victoria Falls. I told Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to go and ask his party member Mviringi here who happens to be my lawyer to find out the number of houses that I have bought. It is no secret, I bought a few houses and commercial stands which I want to develop although I need more,” he said.
Dr Mpofu said Chinotimba Clinic through Mr Maphosa had written to him requesting for a generator as operations at the institution were being affected by load-shedding.
He pledged to repaint the clinic, put new furniture and a new ceiling.
“Where possible, I will come in to help the communities, I will also support your projects to help the people. I am not campaigning here, councillors, you can go and tell your principals to the GPA. I am here talking about development of Victoria Falls. If I was campaigning, then this was going to be massive. So let us work together,” he said.
Dr Mpofu also donated an X-ray machine, fixed the generator and the laundry machine at Chinotimba District Hospital.
“I was touched when I was greeted by darkness at Chinotimba Hospital at night when there should have been electricity for efficient operations. So I went in and met Gwafa (sister-in-charge) and I learnt that the generator was not working. I then fixed it, among other things,” he said.
He also pledged to drill boreholes for Chief Shana and Chief Mvutu’s subjects.
For the clinic, sister-in-charge, Sheila Rudzuna commended Dr Mpofu for the timely donation adding that operations at the institution would no longer be controlled by electricity.
Chiefs Shana and Mvutu also commended the Minister for assisting the health institutions on which the whole district relies.
Online Reporter