New Mayor’s pledges

BEITBRIDGEs new Mayor and councillor for Ward 1, Peter Pirato Mafuta, made
promises, among them reviewing workers’ salaries and stepping up service delivery.
Cllr Mafuta of CCC made these promises in his acceptance and inaugural address to
residents and fellow councillors soon after he was elected unopposed on Monday.
He said his council will continue with the town’s redevelopment.
Cllr John Manatsa was also elected deputy mayor, unopposed, after an unsuccessful
bid by the lone Zanu PF councillor, out of eight, Brenda Maworere, who nominated
herself but failed to get someone to second her.

Mafuta takes over from former mayor, Chitsunge, who did not contest while Manatsa
succeeded Cllr Agness Tore from the same Ward 6.
Mafuta, a businessman, said he will pursue an open door policy, accepting
constructive ideas from all people that will help transform the town into a medium
city.

“Let me thank my fellow councillors for the nomination and subsequent ascension to
the post of Mayor of Beitbridge. I am advised the 2023 municipal budget speech ran
with the theme: “Accelerating Economic Transformation”.
“The theme is premised on the National Development Strategy 1 anchored on
moving the nation towards a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income
society by 2030, he said.
“Our 2023 budget was responding to the various issues raised by stakeholders
through the 2022 consultative process.”
Main problems his council will be solving the need to permanently deal with sewer
blockages, reticulation of sewer and water services across the whole town and
infrastructural development to match the border upgrade.
In the first six months in office Mafuta said they will build a new clinic, complete a
toilet block at Alfred Beit Primary School for the school to open next January.
The completion of the Dulivhadzimu Bus Terminus, which is long overdue, would be
attended to, he said.

“We are also going to improve public lighting and I am advised that we have entered
into an agreement with Econet to use some of their base stations to install public
lights,” he said.
“In addition, it is critical for us to start offering stands on the new central business
district, which will make our town look new and modern.

“Our town has faced challenges of water shortages, roads in need of resealing /
reconstruction, the need to control vending, control illegal occupation of council land,
low payments by rate payers and the slow pace of servicing stands.”
To ensure the local authority remains viable, Cllr Mafuta said there is need to
increase revenue generation, particularly through payments in foreign currency. 
That would also see workers getting a rise in the foreign currency component of their
salaries.
"We will also focus on our vision of becoming a ‘smart city’, which provides “excellent
sustainable services to the community by 2030”.
Beitbridge Municipality budgeted to redevelop or renew the oldest part of
Dulivhadzimu Township north of Dulivhadzimu Stadium, including the stadium itself,
and west of Makhado Road, extending westwards to include the old bus terminus
and the Wamlala stream.

The area has over the years been under threat from floods which are a result of poor
drainage systems of Dulivhadzimo.
Chitsunge challenged the new leaders to be involved in community programmes and
ensure they move along with national vision.

Election time was over and the electorate expects the new leadership to hit the
ground running. They expect what you promised, he said.
Beitbridge District Development Co-ordinator, Sikhangezile Mafu-Moyo, said they
were looking forward to seeing accelerated infrastructure development in the town.
The new council takes over a local authority owed millions in rates, while it also was
duped by many suppliers who owe it a grader, a motorised giga-jetting machine and
several other non-supplied but paid for equipment.