by Tendai Guta.

Rural District Councils (RDCs) countrywide are doing justice to service delivery and some of the developmental projects they are doing in an effort to transform the lives of the rural folk deserve to be applauded.

Whilst most MDC led urban municipalities are at loggerheads with rate payers over their failure to provide basic services like refuse collection, roads rehabilitation, provision of clean and safe water and repairing burst sewage and water pipes, rural district councils under the leadership of ZANU PF seem to be doing justice to that effect.

Urban councils under the watch of MDC, Harare City Council in particular, have turned the once sunshine city into a garbage and trench city due to misplaced priorities, greediness and massive corruption. Besides the issue of poor service delivery, HCC is struggling to pay its employees their salaries and workers have not received their dues since April, reducing them to destitutes and beggars.

Mutoko Rural District Council (MRDC) recently completed a piped water scheme expected to supply water to hundreds of villagers in Kawazva communal areas. The project is expected to uplift the livelihood of the villagers. Not long ago, the same council embarked on a massive housing scheme, solar electrification project as well as water and sanitation upgrade that are expected to benefit thousands of residents by the end of the year. The solar electrification project is expected to feed 10 megawatts into the national grid.

Relatedly, Mhondoro Ngezi Rural District Council has provided villagers with a unique solar powered piped water project after Government introduced programmes to ensure that rural areas receive clean and portable water.

Mbire Rural District Council has been given a green light by the Government to establish a $38,57 million sugarcane plantation in the district and a private investor, New Basic Investment is behind the initiative which is expected to create  more than 500 jobs, both permanent and contract jobs when fully operational.

Some rural district councils have also embarked on rates clearance promotions aimed at lessening the burden of debt on its rate payers and encouraging residents to pay their dues. Recently, Karoi Town Council launched the promotion code-named dollar for dollar promotion which started on June 1 and will end on June 30 with a view to promoting the culture of rate paying and improving revenue inflow.

In a bid to improve health service delivery, Tongogara Rural District Council in Shurugwi built five clinics worth over $400 000. The clinics are Gamwa, Ruchanya, Totonga, Jobolinko and Batanai. Zvimba Rural District Council also built Chikeya, Arda Sisi and Mazvikadei clinics and walking distances to health facilities have been reduced. Mothers waiting shelter have also been constructed at these clinics. Several schools have been built and rehabilitated by these Rural District Councils.

Most Rural District Councils have been successfully utilising funds they were allocated by Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (ZINARA). These include Masvingo Rural District Council, Murewa RDC, Chirumhanzu RDC which has already rehabilitated tarred roads in Mvuma and currently working on roads leading to residential areas.