Zivhu guns for helm of rural councils

Lovemore Dube Bulawayo Bureau
RURAL district councils have been challenged to take advantage of the country’s leading trade exhibitions to market themselves, Chivi rural district council chairperson, Dr Killer Zivhu, has said.

Dr Zivhu, who is attending the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo, said the ZITF and the Harare Agricultural Show were perfect opportunities for rural councils to exhibit and market themselves.

He said this would go a long way in advertising the business opportunities existing in their districts and possibly attract partners who may help them develop their communities.

“Next year, we would like to see all district councils taking part at ZITF. If we had our way, we would even exhibit twice at ZITF, first at a show for local companies and then at one that would have the local concerns and foreign ones exhibiting. We would then follow up this with the Harare Agricultural Show in August,” said Dr Zivhu.

Dr Zivhu said local authorities should do more than just drawing allowances for participating at the ZITF or Harare Agricultural Show.

He said the nation would also get to appreciate challenges being faced by districts and their successes. He said there were also arts and crafts to be exported to the rest of the country and beyond the borders.

“The exhibitions are also an opportunity for RDCs to parade their art and crafts to a wider market which in turn would benefit the people at grassroots level in line with the Government’s expectations of poverty alleviation. Let’s move to ZITF as districts to showcase what we have, not just for the allowances,” said Dr Zivhu.

Dr Zivhu, who is a member of the Masvingo Province Zanu-PF executive, has been engaged in philanthropic work in the last 20 years.

“I like being of service to the community. It gives me satisfaction when I have put smiles on people. In my first job in 1995, I only took $20 from my $300 salary and used the rest to buy uniforms and balls for the Dr Zivhu Tournament which is still running to this date,” he said.

In 1998, Dr Zivhu felt something needed to be done to help Zimbabwean cross border women and formed the Zimbabwe Cross Border Association for women who frequented South Africa and Botswana to sell their wares. The association grew to include women trading in a number of countries like China and Mauritius.

But Dr Zivhu still felt he still needed to do more for the country’s most vulnerable people. He came up with the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Housing Association.

“I intend moving to Bulawayo as well as to other rural and urban councils. We are targeting the most vulnerable members of our society under this programme. These are single mothers and widows. We want to ensure they have a roof over their heads by providing core houses where they can simply move in. Buying and selling stands at times leaves people very poor as they fail to build houses even over a long period,” said Dr Zivhu.

He called on Zimbabweans to develop a culture of self-reliance.

“No-one can solve our problems except ourselves, we have to believe in who we are and be patriotic and help develop our communities and country,” said the businessman.

Dr Zivhu is tipped to win the Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe chairmanship in elections to be held today. He is up against the incumbent David Guy Mutasa of Makoni Rural District Council. Farai Chakatenda of Chegutu Rural District Council, who has been chairman of the finance committee of the national rural district councils’ body, said it was wrong to live under the impression that the country’s major exhibitions were for the big boys.

Shepherd Mudhara, chairperson for the Tongogara Rural District Council in Shurugwi, said most of the produce and minerals were within their jurisdiction.

“Taking part in the two major exhibitions would see our own farmers, miners and business-people marketing at an even higher level than the district shows,” said Mudhara.