By Shongedzai Mugwagwa

The District Development Fund (DDF) has opened its first ever fuel station in Siyakobvu at Chalaka which serves the community and boats plying the Kariba waters.

DDF’s department of energy which has several boats operating in the Kariba waters noted the difficulties which had been dogging the Siyakobvu residents in securing petrol and diesel for use.

DDF constructed a fuelling station at Chalaka which will operate at the convenience of all boat operators in the Kariba.

In an interview with Harare Post, DDF special projects coordinator highlighted that it is the mandate of the Fund to come to the rescue of the people in the districts they operate in.

“We noticed the sorrowful status quo of the Siyakobvu residents. There are those who are in the business of harvesting Kapenta in Kariba, they now have a point where they can fuel and refuel their boats,” he said.

DDF Permanent Secretary, Mr James Jonga said that as DDF, they took pride in ensuring that there was service delivery in each and every corner of the country as it was their mandate.

He went on to encourage the DDF directorate to unify their workforce and ensure that all projects were fully implemented in its various departments.

DDF, which is now under the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), is promoting the new dispensation’s target and vision 2030.

“The setting up of a service station here at Chalaka will ensure that businesses especially small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are given support so as to realise their full potential.

“We noted that they would source their fuel from a distance and some were being fleeced by black market operators. This, thereby discouraged the ease of doing business,” said Jonga.

Apart from the service station, DDF is at the moment tarring the 100 kilometre stretch which links Karoi and Binga. The route is the shortest that connects Binga with travellers coming from Harare.