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On the other hand, what used to be bushy, uncleared lands are now residential areas where constituents have been building their houses.
Since Zvishavane is a small town, there is no need for the use of public transport around the area so most constituents walk to wherever they need to go.
In Mandava, a stone’s throw away from the central business district, was Mr Rujeko Hove (48) who said the town had been developing over the years.
He said there had been a lot of infrastructural development and an increase in the number of service providers in the constituency.
“There has been a significant improvement in Zvishavane. We never used to have big shops like TM. Banks such as Barclays were banks that we would only see on television but now there is a branch right here.
“We now have TN Bank Mall here as well. Zvishavane never used to have robots but now we have robot controlled intersections,” said Mr Hove.
He however, said apart from the houses that were built by Shabanie Mine during its heydays, there was no real accommodation in Zvishavane.
“Now people are getting stands and they are building themselves proper houses with electricity and proper ablution facilities. The type of accommodation here has improved. Vanhu vaimbogara muzvitangwena asi iye zvino vane dzimba kwadzo,” said Mr Hove.
He applauded the various business people operating in the mining town for having brought their businesses, which have developed the area.
“There used to be one hotel but we now have lodges as well. There are more service stations now. I must say Mimosa Platinum Mine has also contributed a lot to the development of Zvishavane,” said Mr Hove.
He attributed the development in the area to the Zvishavane business community but said the MP for the constituency, Cde Obert Matshalaga, had not spearheaded any developmental projects.
Mr Christopher Mugiya (31), an employee of Mimosa Platinum Mine, who was on his way to his house in Highlands Extension, said he had been staying in Zvishavane for the past 11 years.
“Ndakagara muno muZvishavane rino richiri sango. There has been visible development. This place used to be bare but it is now a residential area as you can see.
“We are very grateful for these developments because they have definitely improved our lives,” he said.
Mr Mugiya said because the schools in the area were still few, Mandava Secondary and Makwasha Primary schools have had to take on most of their children.
“The development we have seen here is people-orientated. I have never heard of any initiatives from our MP,” he said.
Mr Mugiya said sewer reticulation in Highlands Extension needed improvement.
“We also have water problems because we are sometimes disconnected for days. We sometimes have to use the boreholes that were drilled by Mimosa Platinum Mine after we complained about the erratic water supplies,” he said.
Mr Mugiya said he knew Cde Matshalaga, but he was not sure what contributions the MP had made to the area.
This Chronicle news crew was fascinated by the sight of people walking up and down, one after the other, carrying buckets, soap and towels to one of the public toilets and shower facilities in Maglas Township.
It was hilarious for a moment as it was well after 2pm and seemed unusual for someone to “journey” just to take a bath.
But it later dawned that although it was normal for the people living in Maglas, the situation was far from ideal.
Having to walk out of one’s house just to use the toilet or take a bath is no ideal situation at all, particularly in a town. The houses in Maglas do not have bathrooms therefore the people living there have to use public ablution facilities. The houses do not have electricity and residents have to use firewood for cooking.
Since they were built many years ago for Shabanie Mine workers, these houses have not changed a bit. They surely have seen better days.
Miss Yeukai Zhira (20) who was doing her laundry at one of the public ablution facilities in Maglas said the life they were living there was very uncomfortable.
She said although she was used to the environment, something needed to be done to improve their living conditions.
“Noone seems to be listening to us. We do not know who to tell our problems anymore. This public toilet for example is very filthy.
“It is only cleaned about three times a week. We hardly ever have water at our houses. Water is disconnected every morning at 8am and it is only restored at 4.30am the next day until it is disconnected again at 8am,” said Miss Zhira.
She said she had no idea who the MP for the area was and had never heard about him.
“I do not know the MP. I am hearing his name from you for the first time,” said Miss Zhira.
Although Maglas was initially meant for Shabanie Mine workers, other people with no ties to the mine now live there. They rent the houses from the mine and pay about $24 for two rooms per month.
Some workers who were retrenched from the mine still stay in Maglas.
Other workers who were retrenched now work for cocktail bars and supermarkets around the town.
“Hapana chiri kumbochinja muno muMaglas,” said Ms Faith Mpofu (32) who said she was tired of living in abject poverty and appealed to the Government to address their plight.
Ms Mpofu said she did not see the need of having a representative if them being there did not make a difference in their lives.
“Vana vatojaira tsvina yacho, havachatorwari. We need leaders who can address our problems.
“We are not asking for money, we are just asking them to improve our living conditions and keep our environment habitable.
“Why do we vote then if the people we vote for do not help us in any way?” queried Ms Mpofu.
She said although Shabanie Mine Hospital was just next door, they had to go to a hospital further down commonly known as White.
“It is these things that make us question the quality of leaders we have. If we are not allowed to use a medical facility that is within our reach, how is that looking after our welfare,” said Ms Mpofu.
When contacted for comment, Cde Matshalaga, who was elected into office under a Zanu-PF ticket in 2008, said the reason why some people in his constituency did not know him was due to the nature of politics in the area.
“You probably got negative feedback because of the nature of politics in the area. The people here are largely from the MDC formations. If you talk to the councillors in the urban areas, they would know.
“Ordinary people probably do not know who their MP is because of the nature of politics in the area. I have comfortable support from the business community and other leaders.
“I have an excellent working relationship with Mimosa Mining Company for example and we have built a state-of-the-art primary school called Mtshingwe,” he said.
Cde Matshalaga said the impact of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was very little because a lot needed to be done in the constituency.
“People wanted us to build market stalls. We renovated a crèche and also constructed a shelter for Grade Zero pupils.
“We, however, did supply materials to construct the market stalls. We re-roofed a number of classrooms blocks. We provided roofing material for Mapanzure Primary School,” he said.
Cde Matshalaga said they had hoped to drill some boreholes but they had not managed to do so as yet.
Under the CDF, Cde Matshalaga said they had also been promoting agriculture through field days where they would give farmers ploughs, wheelbarrows and tools.
“We are looking forward to more development since we are the second beneficiaries of the Community Share Ownership Trust. We are looking forward to the utilisation of the first tranche of the $10 million,” he said.
Online Reporter