Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]
ZANU-PF Matabeleland North is on Friday set to convene a joint Provincial Development Committee (PDC) and Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting at the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, providing provincial leaders with an opportunity to assess progress on the strategic national project and engage Government on development priorities.
The meeting, set for Gwayi-Shangani Damsite Boardroom, will bring together PCC members for interaction and advocacy on development issues between the ruling party and Government.
The development was announced last Saturday by Zanu-PF Matabeleland North provincial chairman Cde Richard Moyo during a Provincial Joint Inter-District Conference in Lupane last Saturday.
Cde Moyo said the meeting would allow provincial leaders to witness first-hand progress on the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, one of the flagship projects being implemented by the Second Republic to transform the region’s economic fortunes.
“So this coming Friday we are meeting at Gwayi-Shangani dam to witness progress,” said Cde Moyo.
The joint engagement is also expected to provide a platform for the ruling party and Government structures to deliberate on development challenges affecting the province and advocate for the acceleration of ongoing projects.
Cde Moyo applauded the Second Republic for the development momentum witnessed across Matabeleland North, while stressing that additional resources were required to bring projects already in motion to completion.
“We acknowledge the tremendous progress on the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Highway, the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, expansion of Hwange Thermal Power Station, rural electrification, irrigation development and other infrastructure programmes, but our people are thirsty for these projects to reach full completion.
“We therefore reiterate our call for increased and sustained funding so that the development momentum being witnessed across Matabeleland North is accelerated,” said Cde Moyo.
The Gwayi-Shangani Dam is regarded as a transformative project for Matabeleland North, with its completion expected to support irrigation development, improve water security and unlock opportunities in agriculture and other economic activities.
Beyond the dam, the province is witnessing major infrastructure interventions, including the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway and rural electrification and irrigation development.
The PCC and PDC engagement at the dam comes at a time when the province is seeking to consolidate the development gains achieved under the Second Republic while pushing for the completion of projects that are already at various stages of implementation.
The meeting is being held under the broader Vision 2030 thrust of attaining an upper middle-income economy by 2030, with the provincial leadership expected to use the engagement to strengthen coordination between political and Government structures in driving development.
The joint meeting will also enable provincial leaders to interact around practical development issues and identify areas requiring increased Government attention and resources.
The speedy completion of strategic infrastructure projects in the province remains critical to unlocking the province’s agricultural, energy, water and industrial potential and ensuring that communities benefit fully from the development momentum currently underway.
