Devolution funds projects transform lives in Kwekwe district

Kwekwe (New Ziana) – The Zibagwe Rural District Council has put into operation 598 boreholes using devolution funding which it received amounting to ZWL$3.1 million.

In addition, it is also building classroom blocks, and upgrading of clinics and roads.

Presenting a report at a Kwekwe District Coordinating Committee meeting, Zibagwe RDC Chief Executive Officer Farayi Machaya said as of August 2020, the local authority had received ZWL $3 135 945.00 in devolution funding.

He said on water and sanitation, the local authority has drilled 10 boreholes in order to provide safe, clean and portable water in all the 33 wards in the district.

Silobela constituency got three boreholes, Zhombe (4), Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe (1) and Redcliff-Silobela (2). The beneficiaries were five schools, two villages, one rural service centre and and irrigation scheme.

Council intends to drill 16 more boreholes if it gets more devolution funds.

Zibagwe RDC has so far repaired 131 boreholes using devolution funds, and now has 598 functional out of 850 boreholes in all the wards. Council also equipped boreholes at Chief Ntabeni, Chief Gwesela and Chief Samambwa’s homesteads.

“Future and other existing boreholes to be solar powered and reticulated through taps,” Machaya said.

On the health front, council is expanding Langton Clinic (Ward 24), Fafi Clinic (Ward 12) and Sherwood Executive Ward Clinic (Ward 31).

Council, Machaya said, also purchased a new vehicle at ZWL $861 000 using devolution funds. The vehicle is for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in hard to reach resettlement areas.

On education, he said council used devolution funds at Edzai Mpumelelo Primary School (Ward 4) to replace the entire roof of a classroom block which was damaged by winds.

Zibagwe RDC is also constructing classroom blocks at Bharamasvesve Primary School (Ward 9) where council completed the construction of two by five squat hole toilets, Samambwa Primary School and Hunters Secondary School (Ward 30) where the contractor has started working on the super structure of the school.

Machaya said the local authority was also going to contract companies to construct classroom blocks at Bornstead Secondary School (Ward 31), Njeremoto Secondary School (Ward 5) and Mupamombe Secondary (Ward 2).

Machaya said the clinic and school projects also needed houses.

On other infrastructural developments, council is currently constructing a public toilet at Columbina Rural Service Centre.

Zibagwe RDC is also using devolution funds to refurbish and repair public infrastructure damaged by storm, with roads set to benefit farmers in the distribution of food and Presidential Inputs.

Zibagwe RDC has a total of over 37 000 households, 33 wards, one district centre, two rural service centres, 89 business centres, 81 dip tanks, 850 boreholes, 143 schools, 17 clinics, two hospitals and 1 195, 7km road network.

New Ziana