adminZvamaida Murwira recently in Muzarabani
POLITICAL and community leaders in Muzarabani are concerned with the state of roads many years after Cyclone Eline-induced floods destroyed several bridges linking communities in the Zambezi Valley.Five major bridges in Hoya, Musingwa, Dambakurima, Chadereka and Chimoio were swept away and have not been repaired, cutting off communication and transportation links among the communities in the low- lying area.
Several communities have been turned into islands and people cannot access clinics, hospitals and business centres. Some of the villages that have been de-linked are Gombera, Chiridza, Chiwande and Mutemakuye.
Getting to the nearest districts like Mukumbura or Mozambique has also been turned into a nightmare as people have to walk long distances, but with the advent of rainy season travel to other districts would be rendered impossible.
The most affected people are pupils who would fail to go to school as the bridges would now be impassable once rains come. Lack of proper road infrastructure over many years have also seen pregnant mothers dying as they fail to access health institutions that were only found on the other side of the bridge.
The concept of extended family fabric has also been compromised, because visiting each other has now been rendered almost impossible because of the poor road network.
The community leaders, led by Muzarabani North MP, Cde Alfred Mufunga (Zanu-PF) and local councillors met at the weekend to brainstorm on their challenges and how a solution could be found in this flood- prone area.
Council chairperson, Councillor Proud Pfotso, said the villagers were no longer able to visit nearby districts or areas like Mukumbura or Mozambique.
Their challenges has been compounded by the fact that they still have school pupils learning in thatched huts with no benches.
A visit by The Herald at Keche Primary School revealed that pupils learn in grass thatched huts with no benches and no administration block.
“As council it is difficult to co-ordinate development activities like distribution of food rations, grain inputs.
“The collapse of these bridges has created island communities. It destroys the family fabric, something that does not augur well for our culture,” he said.
Cde Mufunga said the only mode of transport villagers were now using in the sweltering heat were scortchcarts as kombis and buses no longer ply the route owing to the inaccessibility of the roads.
He said there was need for cotton buying firms to contribute in community development.
“Their trucks come here and contribute to the deterioration of roads.
“We should convene a meeting with the firms and see how they could assist in community development as part of their social responsibility,” said Cde Mufunga.
He estimated the total number of people who have been affected at 18 000. Cde Mufunga said their situation had been compounded by the low producer price of cotton which had discouraged villagers from planting the crop.
He implored Government to set aside resources to repair the bridges.
Online Reporter