The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
MANICALAND will this year receive $2,1 billion in devolution funds to spur infrastructural development and improve livelihoods in line with Vision 2030, The Manica Post has established.
This is part of the $19,5 billion which Treasury allocated to local authorities countrywide to implement projects that will promote socio-economic development.
The province will also receive additional funds under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) to complement the infrastructure development agenda being implemented by local authorities.
Speaking on the sidelines of Treasury’s Strategic Plan review workshop in Vumba last week, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said councils should ensure that the funds benefit people on the ground.
“For Manicaland Province, we have allocated $319,2 million which is going to the districts. This figure is at district level, but overall for Manicaland we are looking at $2,1 billion. This is a substantial allocation and we wish to see the Rural District Councils implementing projects that focus on socio-economic infrastructure — things like health centres, schools, roads, even acquiring equipment and drilling boreholes. All this is critical for development,” he said.
Local authorities, Prof Ncube said, should not spend the resources on acquiring vehicles, but should focus on the development of the people of their communities.
Under the fund, Mutare City Council will receive $192 million, while Chipinge Town Council will get $97,8 million.
Rusape Town Council was allocated $91 million, while Makoni Rural District Council will get $278 million.
Chipinge, Mutasa and Nyanga RDCs will receive $306 million, $219 million and $186 million respectively.
Buhera was allocated $271 million, while Chimanimani got $194 million.
Mutare RDC was allocated $267 million.
Government will also finance the construction of the Chimanimani District Office, where $2 million was allocated. The Rusape District Office which will get $35 million.
Under devolution, each province and local council is expected to become a dynamic economic hub, able to attract investments and take advantage of its natural endowments.
In the last two years, local authorities in Manicaland have done well in implementing devolution projects that have positively impacted on people’s lives.
But Prof Ncube said despite the success of these projects, the infrastructure gap is still very big, adding that there is still need for more to be done.
“We still need more projects that include the upgrading of schools and clinics. We can never have enough schools and health centres. The provinces need to continue providing critical infrastructure for development,” said Prof Ncube.
The Finance Minister said under PSIP, Manicaland will have a number of projects across all sectors.
“In Chimanimani, people were affected by Cyclone Idai and we will be constructing houses to make sure that they move into decent accommodation,” he said.
He revealed that $100m was allocated for the construction of houses for the people displaced by the cyclone.
Prof Ncube said in the education sector, funds for the construction of classroom blocks at various schools will be released, while $1,5m will be availed to Kriste Mambo High School for the construction of a 50-cubic metre bio-gas digester for the provision of energy.
“Under roads, we have the Murambinda-Birchenough Road where we will be doing at least 10km with $400m. The Nyanga-Ruwangwe Road was allocated $300m. The Jopa-Kopa Road construction was allocated $500m.
“We have covered a wide spectrum of high impact projects, from schools, roads, universities, energy and many others,” he said.
For projects being funded under the PSIP, Manicaland has already gone a step further to identify four that will be given priority.
Provincial Development Coordinator, Mr Edgars Seenza said the four projects, which have been termed ‘emotional projects’, have taken long to be implemented.
Mr Seenza said the projects will have a major impact on the lives of the Manicaland people and their livelihoods.
“Our people had almost lost hope in as far as those projects are concerned and this is why we have termed them emotional projects,” he said.
The projects include the construction of the Nyamukwarara Bridge in Mutasa District, where people in that area were cut off from all services, including the clinic, thereby forcing them to seek medical services in Mozambique.
The Osborne Dam Irrigation Scheme will also be funded under the initiative.
Construction of the dam was completed in 1995, but the giant reservoir has been lying idle, with very little economic activity taking place for almost two decades.
On several occasions, villagers in surrounding communities have appealed to Government for assistance in turning the area into a greenbelt.
Mr Seenza said completion of the irrigation scheme will assist in achieving this and bring financial independence for the villagers.
“The third project we have identified is the Birchenough Bridge-Murambinda Road which has been on the cards for years, but has never been completed. That road needs urgent attention and will benefit the people of Buhera a lot,” he said.
The rehabilitation of the Chipinge-Mt Selinda and Chako-Jersey Road has also been prioritised.
Mr Seenza said the road is of great economic value as it links Zimbabwe with Mozambique via the Espungabeira Border Post.
Most of the produce that is exported from Chipinge District to the Beira sea port is transported through that road.
“That narrow tarred road is almost non-existent in some sections and where there is something, it is littered with huge potholes, yet it is an important road. Tanganda Tea Company has actually appealed to President Mnangagwa to have that road fixed because they are bringing in a lot of produce from their estates using that road.
“Even the dairy farmers in that area are using the same road. There is general consensus that the road needs urgent attention,” said Mr Seenza.
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