BIKITA – EFFORTS by Bikita South Member of Parliament, Josiah Sithole, have
helped ease serious water challenges in the constituency through the sinking of 16
boreholes by different organisations.
In a recent interview at Odzi High School in the constituency, Sithole said 16
boreholes had been drilled in 10 villages, three schools and a business centre,
greatly easing water challenges in the semi-arid region of Mashoko.
Healing Hands International sunk nine boreholes in six of the villages with three
villages getting two boreholes each while a fourth is expected to have a second
borehole sunk soon.
Schools that had boreholes sunk on their premises include Chedutu and Chinyika
Primary and Chinyika Secondary while Chedutu Business Centre also got a
borehole.
The MP said the Bikita Rural District Council used Devolution Funds to sink a
borehole in Village 30, while the borehole at Chedutu Business Centre was drilled
through the Constituency Development Fund.
He said most of the boreholes were targeted at helping the villagers getting safe
drinking water within short walking distances and, starting community gardens for
nutrition and income generation.
After undertaking a survey in the constituency, Sithole said he decided to channel
part of his CDF towards Ward 26 to ease the serious water challenges facing the
people there.
"I made a survey in my constituency to check if there was an area that was lagging
behind in terms of development, only to find that Ward 26 had some exasperating
water challenges, which I quickly eradicated,” said the Parliamentarian, adding that
the borehole drilling project was undertaken not only to serve the community with
water for domestic duties but to enable them to venture into horticulture and grow
different types of crops for own consumption while selling the surplus to earn
money.
"I urge the community to use the water from the boreholes wisely for conducting
horticulture so that they will not remain in the grip of poverty. People should be
united enough to produce fruitful results on the ground," he said.
Agriculture was one of the 14 pillars of National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1)
that will enable the country to quickly develop its economy and the onus was on all
Zimbabweans to effectively utilise the resources at their disposal such as land to
achieve the desired economic development and attainment of Vision 2030.
Fellow parliamentarian, Johnson Madhuku, of Bikita East commended Sithole for
raising the flag of Bikita South high by promoting agriculture, which he said could
be undertaken by most people to help improve their livelihoods.
Complimenting the MP's efforts, Regina Matambura of Ward 26 said the
community had over the years been affected by the lack of safe potable water as
they were forced to drink from streams and open wells.
"The boreholes drilling project has come as relief to the community as the people
are now able to generate food through farming, every household is currently into
horticulture," she said.
