The ManicaPost
Nyore Madzianike Senior Reporter
BUHERA West legislator, Cde Oliver Mandipaka (Zanu-PF) has not fully tapped into his potential to bring development and change livelihoods of people he represents, leaving some to label him an opportunist.
Voters in Buhera West believe their MP has not done enough to bring sustainable development.
Some say the MP was not visible.
“He is one person who is not active on the ground. It is very difficult to tell if he is the one behind some developmental projects. People end up blaming him for hijacking projects,” said Mr Gibson Musademba of Ward 2.
Mr Musademba said Cde Mandipaka had not initiated developmental projects in the constituency.
He stressed that most of the projects were initiated by communities without his involvement.
Mr Musademba said their MP “hijacked” the construction of a clinic in his area, which was started by the community with the assistance of Buhera Rural District Council.
“We had no clinic and we were accessing health care from clinics, which are far away. Council came in and started working with the community in construction of the clinic. That was when we started seeing Cde Mandipaka. He came in when work was almost complete.
As we speak, people are working with council and we are happy with progress although it is happening at a slow pace. Our MP could have done it a long time ago,” he said.
Mr Mambondiani Murwira, of Ward 14 said Cde Mandipaka had failed to fulfill his campaign promises.
He said Cde Mandipaka had failed to secure resources to develop the constituency. Mr Murwira said the former senior cop should have used his influence to link up with developers.
“He was in Government before he became an MP. I am sure his popularity as a senior police officer helped him in winning that seat. He should have used that popularity and influence to link up with developers.
His experience would have made it easy for him to hook up with other officials from Government departments and lure them to channel resources towards developing his area. It appears as if he became an MP by sheer luck,” he said.
Mr Murwira said there were no meaningful developments attributed to their MP. “I do not know of any meaningful development that our MP is said to have done. He should work extra hard to convince people that he has brought development in the area,” he said.
However, Mrs Evelyn Kabadza, of Ward 6 said Cde Mandipaka tried his best to change the lives of the people in Buhera West. She said there were numerous developments initiated after the former cop wrestled the seat from MDC-T.
“We have seen some developments especially in schools where he helped with resources. Learning conditions have changed in some schools while some have even been electrified. He assisted some schools with building materials and textbooks. We have also seen some boreholes being drilled around and I am sure that it was because of the MP.
“It was unfortunate that he assumed office when things were very difficult for everyone including the Government, but he is doing his level best,” she said.
Courage Kowani said Cde Mandipaka needed to improve and initiate projects that help impoverished communities. He said the MP had dismally failed to come up with vibrant rural empowerment initiatives.
“People want sustainable development. There is nothing he has done to empower communities. We all know that Buhera is one of the poorest communities in Manicaland and people need income generating projects for sustainability. Our MP has done totally nothing in this regard. We have very bad roads but he has done nothing about them,” he said.
Cde Mandipaka blamed the challenges confronting Buhera West on late disbursement of the Constituency Development Fund.
He said the CDF committee had agreed to distribute resources equally across the wards and identified seven schools to be rehabilitated.
“My term as the MP for Buhera West was not easy because resources from Government came very late. However, I am grateful that Government has made sure that we secure the much needed CDF,” he said.
He said they had bought building materials for Zarowa and Matsveru Primary schools in Ward 6, a generator for Buhera Secondary School, and built a library at Nerutanga Secondary School.
They also assisted with mothers’ shelters at Mudanda and Murambinda clinics.
Cde Mandipaka said they also bought building material for Gwebu Secondary and Chatindo Primary schools.
“What we did with the CDF is to spread it so that everyone gets a share of the cake. There is a clinic that we initiated. The community had gone for 37 years without a clinic. Buhera Rural District Council chipped in by constructing staff houses. We are working together with the community and we are hoping to fence it,” he said.
Cde Mandipaka said he also sourced material to construct market stalls at Murambinda Growth Point that will house 50 traders.
“Women had no market stalls, and we have identified an area where we will construct market stalls that will accommodate about 50 women. I can safely say the CDF has done so much for the constituency,” he said.
He said at some point he pumped out personal funds to fund developmental programmes.
Cde Mandipaka said he had fought tirelessly for the resumption of work at Marowanyati Dam.
“Work at Marowanyati had stopped. I was the only MP who stood up in Parliament to say Government should do something about Marowanyati Dam. We invited the then Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and ex-Resident Minister, Mandi Chimene to assess the situation on site. Work has resumed after Government released funding to the contractors.
We have been assured that it will be complete by end of this year,” he said.
Cde Mandipaka said as a lawmaker, he would be credited with raising a point of order, which led to the chucking out of 21 MPs that were recalled and expelled from MDC-T.
He also boasted of making a lot of contributions to parliamentary debates.
He sits in the Home Affairs, Security and Defence Parliamentary Portfolio Committee.
“In that committee we pressured Government to complete the CID headquarters in Harare. You also have to appreciate that for Marowanyati Dam to be allocated finance, it needed a strong MP to talk about it.
If I had kept quiet about it as MP of the area, nothing was going to happen at Marowanyati. I can beat my chest for the immense contribution that I have made in Parliament,” he said.
Cde Mandipaka also said he was vocal about the Murambinda-Birchenough road.
“I was very vocal, along with my other MPs here in Buhera, Cde Joseph Chinotimba and Cde Ronald Muderedzwa to have the road tarred. It is only a question of time and I can safely tell you that the road will be tarred soon,” he said.
Cde Mandipaka dispelled accusations that he was not visible in the constituency.
“People who want to be honest will tell you that Mandipaka stays in Buhera and my farm is near Chivhu. You could have met people who want to challenge me in the coming elections. A lot of people will tell you that I am always here and only absent when attending Parliament,” he said. Cde Mandipaka gets a rating of 7/10.
