Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo and Mukudzei Chingwere in Hwange
MATABELELAND North has reaped the best benefits in terms of development projects in the last five years courtesy of President Mnangagwa who has vowed to uplift people’s livelihoods in the province that has previously been regarded as marginalised and lagging behind, Acting President, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, said yesterday.
Since coming into power in 2017, President Mnangagwa has pushed the Government to spearhead equitable and inclusive development across the country as he seeks to ensure ‘no one and no place is left behind’
For Matabeleland North, in particular, the Government has defied the odds through the successful implementation of several high-impact projects such as the Lake Gwayi-Shangani, which is nearing completion and is being built using resources from the fiscus.
First mooted in 1912 as a permanent solution to Bulawayo’s perennial water woes, successive administrations failed to implement the project until the coming ion of the Second Republic.
A pipeline is under construction linking the massive water body with Bulawayo, which will create a greenbelt and livestock hubs that will transform the province’s economy and create more jobs.
Following the recent completion of the US$1,5 billion Hwange Power Station units 7 and 8 expansion project, Matabeleland North province has become the country’s major power producer with an output of more than 600MW.
In response to the improved business climate, Matabeleland North has received numerous investments from global coal to energy companies, tourism and hospitality, mainly in Hwange and Victoria Falls, a development that has created thousands of jobs for the locals.
The Second Republic has also revamped the agriculture sector in the province, which now boasts thriving irrigation schemes at Bubi Lupane, Jotsholo and Umguza where massive food production projects are underway. The Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga is also being worked on and will see 15 000 hectares of land being utilised for fisheries, cotton and wheat farming.
The upgrading of Victoria Falls into a city, the establishment of the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, construction progress at the Lupane State University and the provincial hospital, are some of the signature projects that have transformed lives in the province.
“Matabeleland North and districts such as Hwange have had the best development under the Second Republic,” said Acting President Chiwenga yesterday while addressing a bumper crowd that attended the Zanu PF star rally at Ndangababi Primary School in Dete, Hwange District.
“But he (President Mnangagwa) is not done as yet, what His Excellency is now doing is to transition to the next stage where projects should now be of huge economic benefit to locals.
“Hwange here in Mat’North is the hub of the country’s energy supply, The President has seen that Hwange units 7 and 8 are built and their coming on stream has eradicated load shedding and this means that we no longer import electricity again.
“On top of this role that this area is already playing in the national energy supply matrix, we are again priming it to continue on the same role even for renewable energy.”
Dr Chiwenga said under the visionary leadership of President Mnangagwa, Matabeleland North was being transformed into a modern economy through the creation of diverse value chain systems that blend the exploitation of natural resources and use of technology to establish high-value industries.
This includes tapping into green energy sources such as methane gas in Lupane and exploiting global demand minerals like lithium in Kamativi.
“Lithium is becoming the most sought-after mineral in the world due to its use in the green energy revolution for solar batteries and electric vehicles.
“Zimbabwe is blessed in that there is no province without this highly sought-after mineral. Very soon here we will be saying we have our own lithium, we have our own gas, we have our own oil,” said Dr Chiwenga.
With such a proven track record of development and having people’s interests at heart, he said voters in Matabeleland North must rally behind the ruling party and discard opposition party formations as they have nothing to offer.
Dr Chiwenga said the time has come for the revolutionary party to use the August 23 elections to wrestle the Hwange district’s three national assembly constituencies from the opposition.
“The works done by the party and President Mnangagwa are all in the public domain. He has done tremendous work not only in Hwange but throughout this province of Matabeleland North, so where exactly are you getting it wrong?
“Why do you allow yourselves to be toyed around by people with no history of the liberation of this country, people that do not have any tangible projects that they have done for you people?” he said.
“Come August 23, let’s do the right thing by voting for the party Presidential candidate Cde Mnangagwa and all our councillors and national assembly representatives in Hwange East, Hwange West, and Hwange Central.”
The Acting President said it was disturbing that Hwange District is home to national leaders in both the ruling party and Government such as Cde Obert Mpofu who is the ruling party’s secretary for administration and the Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, and yet their fellow citizens voted for the opposition.
He castigated opposition leaders for misleading the nation and only concentrating on negative criticism without offering anything on the table for the masses in the last 23 years they have been in office.
“There are no boreholes that were drilled, no clinics constructed, no road rehabilitated or constructed, no dip tanks constructed. So, why vote for such people and then come running to us when you need those services, let’s open our eyes,” said Dr Chiwenga.
“We are aware that Zimbabwe has 35 000 villages and in each of these villages, the Second Republic will put up solar-powered boreholes that will be used to irrigate these nutrition gardens.
“Surely what else can one want when you have a leader as caring as Cde Mnangagwa?…in Binga we gave the chiefs, youths, and women fishing rigs and these programmes lead us away from destitution, and it’s all thanks to the wise and visionary leadership of President Mnangagwa.”
Chief executive officer for Bitumen World, Mr Andre Zietsman, who also attended the event confirmed that they have been contracted to rehabilitate the Bulawayo – Victoria Falls Highway with works expected to be completed soon.
In separate interviews, villagers who attended the rally expressed excitement over the development programmes being rolled out in their places and promised to ensure the ruling party wins resoundingly in the forthcoming election.
Mr Ndodana Sibanda said: “The way Government is revamping the country’s road network is beyond imagination”. He commended the ongoing upgrades of the country’s road network particularly the Bulawayo – Victoria Falls, which is now being attended to saying the road network is key for the growth of the economy.
Another villager, Ms Sylvia Zulu, said she was happy that new companies and mines are being opened and expanded to create employment for locals.
Ms Portia Dhliwayo said the people were now aware that for years they were being fooled by the opposition which has nothing to offer.
“Nothing has been done by the opposition, it’s all-fake promises. Zanu- PF has demonstrated that it delivers on its promises and as such we will definitely vote for it next month,” said Ms Dhliwayo.
Mr Nkosana Ngwenya said: “The developments are there for everyone to see and we are happy President Mnangagwa is delivering, we will vote for him.”
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter