Staff Reporter
Umzingwane Constituency is being transformed into a modern community in-line with the nation's Vision2030 of becoming an upper-middle-income economy.
Speaking to this publication, Deputy Minister of Defence and Security who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Umzingwane, Levi Mayihlome said that the projects will leave a lasting impact on people’s lives by developing and modernizing the community.
"This is a momentous occasion for Umzingwane Constituency, we are dedicated to ensuring that our community is at the forefront of development and modernization, as these projects will also have a lasting impact on the lives of our people,” said Mayihlome.
The projects include a state-of-the-art Information Centre; Umzingwane Mill Market, which is set to boost the local economy, through the provision of fresh produce, empower farmers through nutritional gardens, serve as a community hub, preserve culture, and support small businesses and also through the construction of modern laboratories at Mvuthu High School, to enhance education and ICT skills.
Meanwhile, Ward 4 Councillor, Alderman Jethro Moyo revealed that the Bonjeni Nutrition Garden Project was servicing 1 400 households.
“Umzingwane constituency is blessed to have a listening legislator, Deputy Minister Levy Mayihlome who takes the plight of communities very seriously and sees to it that locals are empowered to avert the dependency syndrome.
“Ward 4 is very grateful of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s nutrition gardens initiative which has immensely transformed the livelihoods of local people. The coming in of private players such as World Vision has also impacted positively to the initiative with the NGO supplying Drip Irrigation equipment to the Bonjeni nutrition Garden,” said Alderman Moyo.
The community has also benefited from the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme which saw the drilling of several boreholes. This has reinvigorated several community projects which include pen-fattening and dairy farming.
The impact of the El Nino induced drought has, to a lesser extent, affected the community gardens as boreholes have been drilled to counter the shortage of water given that Umzingwane constituency falls under the dry region of the country.
The nutrition garden initiative by Government has been widely accepted and is improving the local livelihoods across the country. Moreso, this initiative is aimed at bestowing health initiatives locally given the advent of genetically modified foods now storming the markets as a result of persisting drought across the country and the region at large.
This constituency is poised to become a model for development, inspiring other communities across the nation. It will also benefit from initiatives aimed at alleviating nutrition problems through more nutritional gardens, drilling of more boreholes, improving local tourism, and rehabilitating roads.
