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Masvingo Bureau
A Cabinet Minister has urged women to embrace developmental projects and be pro-active in their communities for them to be self-reliant and help end poverty.
Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Minister Oppah Muchinguri challenged women to shun the dependency syndrome and instead be at the forefront of engendering socio-economic development in their communities.
In a speech read on her behalf by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Dr Pepertua Gumbo at the the launch of a community development centre in Zimuto communal lands in Masvingo on Wednesday, Minister Muchinguri said the new Constitution was very clear on the need for more socio-economic opportunities to be opened to women.
“We are happy with the finalisation of the new Constitution taking into cognisance the fact that the constitution upholds the rights of women as enshrined in Section 17,” said Minister Muchinguri.
Dr Gumbo then launched a community development centre in Zimuto under the leadership of ward development co-ordinators.
The community development centre’s main thrust is to ensure effective co-ordination of programmes and projects that improve livelihoods at ward level. The centres will also serve as focal points for a variety of economic and social activities and for information sharing and dissemination. The ward development co-ordinators received a bicycle each from the ministry.
The concept of community development centres is the brainchild of President Mugabe who introduced them in 1984 when he was Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter