A decade ago talk of every Ward in the district having one or more health centres, attracted rebukes
and criticism from many who viewed it as an insurmountable dream.
Today, Gutu Rural District Council is planning to officially commission eight clinics built over three
years. Another 24 are coming up thanks to the Second Republics mantra that no one and no place
will be left behind in the trajectory of Vision 2030.
Heeding President Emmerson Mnangagwas hitting the ground running the local authority under
its devolution programme allocation took the bull by its horns and prioritised the health sector
among other demanding district developmental needs.
The district is home to 11 government, 14 Council, four Church Missions and one Private hospital
and clinics bringing the total to 30 but residents still wanted more because they were walking
distances of up to 25km to their nearest health centre. Hardest hit were the new resettlement areas
where infrastructural development was non existent.
The devolution programme introduced in 2019 was God send as it meant projects were carried out
at local level instead at national level. The funds dispersed through local authorities which
administer and implement with community input and participation saw the mushrooming of
development in rural areas.
These funds have enabled Gutu Rural District Council to meet its people’s needs by constructing
new clinics throughout the district.
Speaking at the commissioning of Munyikwa Rural Health Centre under Chief Munyikwa in Ward 15,
the Council Chief Executive Officer Alexander Mutembwa, said they had heeded complaints by the
local leadership and communities over concentration of health facilities in urban areas at the
expense of rural areas.
We decided to build this Clinic at the insistence of then Member of Parliament of this area, Beritta
Chikwama that focus on health centre establishment should now be diverted from urban to
communal areas where residents are walking distances of up to 25km to access health services. The
Council also resolved to channel the largest chunk of the Devolution funds towards the health sector
at the start of the Covid 19 era which demanded prioritising health services provision, Mutembwa
said.
Munyikwa clinic is one of the eight Clinics whose construction started with the first Devolution
disbursements in 2019. The others are Makumbe in Ward 8 which is now 95 percent complete
Mushayavanhu, Ward 35 now 70 percent complete, Makwirivindi 70 percent Ward 23; Ndahwi 50
percent in Ward 31; Zoma 45 percent in Ward 20; Nyamandi 40 percent in Ward 21 and Chimedza
40 percent complete in Ward 28.
The District Development Coordinator Chiedza Tafirei adding weight to this said, although the
district has a lot of other developmental needs, health, water and sanitation have been prioritised as
attainment of Vision 2030 demands a healthy workforce and population .
Communities in this district unanimously decided on having more health centres across all parts of
the district meaning all wards with now have a minimum of one Clinic thereby reducing walking
distances to access health services to the required health standards of 5km, she said.
Community Services Executive Officer under Gutu RDC, Thomas Meya, said they have 12
Constituency development fund and Council- community-funded clinics under construction with
waiting mothers’ shelters having been constructed.
He said works in progress under these projects include clinics in Mupasimba which is 65 percent
complete in Ward 22; Chitsa 50 percent in Ward 12; Firomumwe 40 percent in Ward 10; Maungwa
Satellite 70 percent in Ward 24 and Chimombe 60 percent in Ward 36.
Council- Community funded works in progress are : Chitepo 30 percent in Ward 3; Bath 30
percent in Ward 40; Dombo Ward 2; Mudzamiri Ward 11; Chipisa Ward 1; Chivake Ward 20
which are all 10 percent complete.
Others lined up to start soon are; Chihambakwe Ward 25, Dowa Ward 2, Chalgrove Ward 29,
Guvamatanga ward 35, Hwingwiri Ward 11, Guzha Ward 19, Chipangane Ward 37,Shashe Ward 20,
Makore Ward 27, Mutanga Ward 26, and Vuzhe Ward 6.
