adminGeorge Maponga in Masvingo
A STORM is brewing in Chivi over $300,000 donated by Murowa Diamond Mine for the local community share ownership scheme with reports that residents of the district are unhappy with the way funds are being used.
Some community leaders allege that the Chivi Community Share Ownership Trust board chose projects for them, abandoning the ones agreed on during consultations.
The $300,000 from Murowa has already been used and trustees are waiting for another cash disbursement from the Zvishavane-based diamond mine.
The board of trustees led by Chief Chivi, Emmanuel Chiimba, is under fire for allegedly spending most of the money on “trivial” schemes while overlooking priority projects.
In areas such as Bare and Davira in Chivi Central, villagers alleged they were surprised to discover that a borehole they had not asked for was drilled.
Ward 30 councillor Cde Goddard Dunira said: “We hear the funds have since been exhausted but I am still to be informed of any project that was carried out in my ward using the community share ownership funds.”
Chivi Central House of Assembly representative Cde Ephraim Gwanongodza (Zanu-PF) alleged that the wishes of some communities were deliberately ignored.
“I have also been receiving complaints from some communities who are not happy that projects were just imposed on them. They are not happy that in most cases schools ended up being repainted or got new furniture contrary to what they asked for,” he said.
The Chivi Central legislator said there was need to restart the consultation process to establish the real priority areas for communities.
However, Chivi Rural District Council chairperson Cde Killer Zivhu defended the use of community share scheme funds in Chivi. “There is nothing wrong if people in one area say they want their schools to be repainted and others saying they want boreholes or small bridges. In any case if there are some areas that did not benefit there is still $700,000 more to come from Murowa Diamond and those communities in question will also benefit,” he said.
Chivi district administrator Bernad Hadzirabwi, who is a member of the board of trustees, also dismissed allegations that some of the paint for schools was of poor quality.
“We drilled 22 boreholes in different wards and we made exhaustive consultations with the communities before we started using any money and I think we were on the right track until the funds were used up,” he said.
Among the notable projects in Chivi using community share ownership scheme funds was completion of Madzivadondo Clinic, which was not 100 percent done since the early 1990s.
Online Reporter