Valentine Makufa
People in Chief Mugabe’s area have appealed to Masvingo Rural District Council (RDC) for development of infrastructure in their respective villages at an engagement meeting organized by TellZim News at the Chief Mugabe’s homestead recently.
Headmen, village heads and villagers outlined their challenges which among others include lack of proper roads, schools, clinics and clean water.
Headman Mudavanhu said there are poor roads in Chikarudzo and this has been a challenge in terms of transport and they also need a clinic within the area as pregnant women who need regular cherk ups have to part ways with a lot of money to travel to and from Morgenster Mission Hospital.
“In Chikarudzo, transport has become a problem due to poor roads. Recently two ladies gave birth at bus station waiting for transport to go to Morgenster Mission Hospital because our area is not accessible especially with smaller vehicles.
It is a very disturbing situation to us all as the new born babies belong to everyone. Therefore, we are pleading with council to construct roads and clinics in our area,” said Mudavanhu.
He went on to say people spend almost a day waiting to get water at the available borehole and added that their small irrigation was no longer functional as drilled boreholes are malfunctional.
“We are going to the borehole morning because if we let our wives go to fetch water, they can spend the whole day waiting for their chance to do so due to pressure.
Cheshango irrigation scheme in ward 13 is no longer functional because the pipeline broke and was never repaired. If we can go to the garden, we will not even find a bundle of vegetables due to lack of water for irrigation,” added Mudavanhu.
Chief Mugabe born Matubede Mudavanhu urged council to channel devolution funds in his area saying they had not benefited a single project from the funds.
“We have heard of devolution funds but have not seen their use in our area. Please do something so that we know what devolution funds are,” said Chief Mugabe.
He also advised his subjects to request a market for their farm produce and assured them that government has improvised treatment chemical for Theleriosis also known as January disease which killed cattle during the previous year.
“I have been watching news on television and government has introduced chemicals for January disease which will soon be provided to farmers,” he added.
Villagers also asked the local authority to build schools in the area as children are travelling long distances which are not only tiresome but dangerous and makes girls vulnerable.
The absence of schools are also resulting in children delaying to enroll at schools at proper ages as they will be very young to walk long distances to and from available schools which are Topora and Nemamwa.
“We do not have schools in our area. The only available schools are Topora and Nemamwa but they are very far.
Children have to walk past a very dangerous mountain with bush pigs. Some children have to go along the road and because of this our girls are being abused and impregnated by motorists who will be giving them free transport.
“Children are also skipping the Early Childhood Development (ECD) stage usually at four or five years of age and are starting school at the age of seven when they can now walk a 10km distance. Preparations and plans were made for a school construction at Masononga but no further developments were witnessed,” said one villager.
People also complained about lack of safe water as there are no sufficient boreholes within Chief Mugabe’s area of jurisdiction.
In some parts of the area there is only one borehole that supplies five other villages which results in pressure as that one borehole is overwhelmed.
