Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi has expressed satisfaction with major legacy development progress in Matabeleland South and with the province’s preparedness to host this year’s national Independence Day celebrations next month in Maphisa, Matobo District.
Joined by Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, service chiefs, traditional leaders and senior Government officials, the Vice President yesterday conducted a tour of Maphisa Stadium — the main venue for the Uhuru celebrations scheduled for April 18.
For the past few months, Matabeleland South Province has been a hive of construction activity, with more than 1 000 workers — 80 percent of them local — pushing through heavy rains and strong winds to revive major projects and meet Independence Day deadlines.
Two schools, a local cultural centre, a stadium, health facilities, a Vocational Training Centre (VTC) and road infrastructure are among the projects being constructed or upgraded as part of legacy developments expected to transform Matabeleland South Province, and Maphisa in particular.
The Uhuru celebrations have accelerated the completion of several projects.
At Mahetshe Primary School, the venue for the Children’s Party, progress is notable, with four new classroom blocks almost complete and modern ablution facilities now more than 80 percent done.
New teachers’ cottages are also under construction. Mahetshe Secondary School has been modernised to include six additional classroom blocks, a laboratory, upgraded ablution facilities and teachers’ cottages.
An airstrip is nearing completion, bringing a significant facelift to the area and providing aviation facilities expected to attract foreign visitors and boost local tourism.
In his remarks after the tour, VP Mohadi expressed satisfaction with the broader progress and highlighted areas requiring urgent attention.
He reiterated that Government remains committed to ensuring incomplete projects that miss deadlines ahead of Independence Day are finished, with strict follow-ups on contractors to ensure they fulfil their obligations.
“All the projects that we have started ahead of the Independence Day celebrations that are going to take place here in Maphisa will be revisited to ensure that they are completed because they are legacy projects that the people of Matabeleland South Province will look at in the future and say ‘this is what the 2026 Independence Day celebrations brought to our province’.
“The people of Matabeleland South Province must be rest assured that Government will not abandon the unfinished legacy projects because that is not how we do things, that is not how our Government works,” VP Mohadi said.
Vice-President Mohadi expressed satisfaction with the state of preparedness of legacy projects under construction in the province.
“I’m here as the chairman of the National State Occasions and I’m very happy with the progress of projects that Government has embarked on ahead of the Independence Day celebrations,” he said.
He, however, raised concerns over the pace of road rehabilitation works, pointing to delays along the Bulawayo–Maphisa Road.
“I’m not happy with the pace of roads rehabilitation as we seem to be lagging behind in that regard. I don’t know whether contractors will be in a position to resurface the roads by the time we celebrate Independence Day,” he said.
VP Mohadi added that with about 10 contractors now working around the clock, there was hope the works would be completed in time.
Maphisa and the wider Matobo District are undergoing extensive infrastructural development in preparation for the national event.
The Government has adopted a decentralisation approach to national events, rotating Independence Day celebrations among the provinces to promote inclusive development.
“Government made a resolution that we are no longer going to centralise national events and that we need to rotate them in all the country’s provinces. Each and every province will have its chance to host the Independence Day celebrations. We started with Bulawayo, then we went to Mashonaland Central in Mt Darwin, then Manicaland, after that we were in Gokwe, Nembudziya, and this year we are in here in Maphisa.
“The people of Matabeleland South Province are motivated that within a short space of time, Government has managed to embark on massive developmental projects and that will leave a lasting legacy in the province,” he said.
Once completed, the legacy projects will transform Maphisa from a modest rural outpost into a burgeoning development hub, reflecting the President’s commitment to completing previously stalled projects and fulfilling long-standing promises.
