admin
Sukulwenkosi Dube
Bulilima and Mangwe in Matabeleland South province are generally dry but vast swathes of land in both districts are irrigable. They also have gold deposits which can transform the people’s lives if the mineral is properly exploited.
There is also great potential in other sectors, say newly-elected National Assembly members for Bulilima and Mangwe constituencies. The two MPs have committed themselves to, in the next five years, spearhead the exploitation of untapped resources in their areas for the benefit of their respective communities.
They expressed disappointment over the negligence displayed by their MDC predecessors saying if properly managed, the area’s wealth can improve the livelihoods of many people who are living in abject poverty in the land of plenty.
In an interview at Zanu-PF victory celebrations in Plumtree recently, the MP-elect for Mangwe, Cde Obedingwa Mguni said constituents have remained poor despite the area being endowed with minerals.
“The district of Mangwe is quite rich in minerals, especially gold but the resources are yet to be exploited because people have not been empowered. Instead of benefiting from these minerals, many families are living in abject poverty,” he said.
Cde Mguni said many irrigation schemes in the district need to be rehabilitated to enable people to cultivate crops under irrigation as opposed to relying on rain-fed farming.
“Irrigation schemes such as Ingwizi, Dorson, Tshitshi among others have the potential to change the people’s livelihoods. What is only needed is to revive these schemes.
“The people should be able to produce not just for their own consumption but even surplus for sale to say people in urban areas,” said Cde Mguni.
He said despite being located in a generally dry region, the district had the potential to be among the country’s major food producers.
“We have a number of commercial farms in Marula area which could produce food on a large scale as long as there is adequate water to cultivate some of the crops under irrigation,” he said.
Cde Mguni lamented the absence of technical institutions which he said were necessary to equip people with the necessary skills to boost agricultural production.
“The district requires a technical college that can churn out skilled manpower required by the different sectors of the economy. Training centres are there but the courses offered are not all inclusive. They cater for youths who have attained a junior level at school.
“There is a need for courses that can also cater for youths that would have completed their A-Level studies. By so doing we will be able to avoid a situation whereby we have A-Level graduates becoming domestic workers in neighbouring countries just because they are not equipped with skills,” he said.
Cde Mguni said there was also an urgent need for the district’s education system to be revived as it was the backbone of development.
“The education sector continues to deteriorate. The state of our schools is not pleasing at all. School development committees should focus more on improving the education system and not on politicising their duties because that is not their responsibility.
Cde Mguni said the district’s hospital should be upgraded and there was also need to construct more clinics.
“The district is privileged to have Brunapeg Hospital which was one of the best health institutions in the region.
“The hospital has a good staff complement but is faced with a shortage of equipment and resources. In the past it used to also service people from other districts because it had adequate resources” said Cde Mguni.
He said at present the hospital was failing to attract doctors.
“Retaining the hospital’s high standards of service is a huge challenge,” said Cde Mguni.
Bulilima East legislator-elect, Cde Mathias Siqhoza said farmers in his area were failing to access markets for their produce.
“The greater part of my constituency has resettled farmers. Most people here are engaged in subsistence farming as they lack funds to boost agricultural production.
“What has worsened the situation for the farmers is that the few that are able to produce surplus for sale are failing to access markets.
“In most areas villagers are active in mushroom and melon production. However, most of their produce rots before being sold,” he said.
Cde Ndlovu said because of lack of markets, farmers were being forced to sell their produce at low prices.
“Areas like Dombolefu are rich in production of melons. However, farmers are forced to sell them for as low as R10 when melons are going for R40 at other markets” he said.
Cde Ndlovu said there was urgent need to establish more vending bays in Plumtree town where vendors of farm produce could operate from.
“These vendors will then provide a market for the farmers,” he said.
Commenting on the schools in his area, Cde Ndlovu said there was urgent need to decongest schools because many of them had too big classes.
“Our schools especially those located in the high density suburbs are congested and as such have big classes which compromise the quality of education.
“There is need to construct more schools and complete those which are under construction. Matiwaza Secondary is under construction and its completion would help ease the burden on existing schools,” he said.
Online Reporter