Cuthbert Mpame
Patience Muzhingi /
Caroline Gumbo
ZVISHAVANE – The newly-elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Zvishavane – Runde constituency, Cuthbert Mpame has made a grand promise to build over 10 000 houses as part of his own efforts to fight housing backlogs.
Mpame, who defeated his closest rival Leopold Mudisi of the MDC Alliance to become the new MP, said government had given him a tender to build more than 10 000 houses.
"We are going to develop Zvishavane through construction of houses as the government has already approved the tender. We have also identified some schools which we will upgrade to 'A' schools; such schools as Mazhou and Mahumashava in Ward 18," says Mpame.
His promise, however, may sound outrageous to some people who know how national housing processes work and who understand that the numbers being put forward could be too farfetched.
Being one of the most poorly administered town in the country, Zvishavane struggles to pump enough water to the city and it would be a wonder if 10 000 stands are serviced and developed in the next five years.
The adjacent Runde Rural District Council (RDC) also struggles with endless service delivery problems with most of its people lacking access to the most basic services that a local authority is expected to deliver.
Mpame, however, also promised to make sure that clinics and hospitals have adequate drugs although this area is a sole responsibility of the Ministry of Health and its identified development partners.
During the campaign period, Mpame drilled boreholes in Murowa Ward 18 and another one at Lundi Hospital to fight water shortages.
Mpame said he was also running a 'Go Green ' project by which dams and irrigation schemes were being built in communities to empower women and the youth.
It, however, remains to be seen whether his latest promises are anything to go by or the usual empty promises that politicians make when they are excited or seeking to curry favour with the public.local
