By Staff reporter
Umguza Rural District Council (URDC) has struck gold under the devolved system of Government as it has managed to resume existing projects that had stalled due lack of funding and to start new ones.
A tour conducted by Harare Post on Monday show that a number of projects are at various stages of implementation in the district. The projects are being funded using ZWL26 million devolution funds allocated to the district domiciled in Matabeleland North province between 2019 and 2020.
Notable projects include construction of, clinics in Heany, Bhekeni, Mfanyana, Kennebeck and Fingo, laboratories at schools namely Mahlatova and Nyamandlovu; purchasing of road construction equipment (front end loader); modernizing of Council’s ICT infrastructure and rehabilitation of the sewer treatment plant at Ntabazinduna Township.
Speaking after the tour of Matebeleland North Province Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Richard Moyo said the attainment of Vision 2030 called for the local authorities to work and commit soul and limb to the discharge of the constitutional mandate in an inclusive and responsive manner.
“Utilisation of Devolution funds should take into consideration community driven expectations and national aspirations. Therefore, extensive and inclusive consultation should be carried out when coming up with projects to be implemented.
“The Second Republic is committed to providing accessible and affordable services to our communities, hence the continuous funding of projects under devolution,” Moyo said.
Moyo commended Umguza Rural District Council for putting devolution funds to good use.
“I am glad that you choose to use the devolution funds towards improving sewer reticulation for your residents here in Umguza, Ntabazinduna in particular,” he said.
He said investing in equipment for infrastructure development would help reduce costs for equipment hire when embarking on development projects.
Umguza RDC Chief Executive Officer, Collen Moyo said without devolution funds the council would not have achieved this fit.
“We thank government for coming up with the Devolution Policy. Some projects had stalled because of lack of funding but we have resumed now because of devolution funds,” he said.
In 2020, total devolution allocation is ZWL$2.93 billion, of which ZWL$703.8 million was disbursed by 30 September 2020. These resources supported various impactful projects being undertaken at the community level, and these are in the areas of health, education, roads, water and sanitation, among others.
An allocation of ZWL$19.5 billion has been proposed for 2021, consistent with the constitution the money will be allocated to Provincial Councils, Local Authorities where they are urged to prioritise water and sanitation, health services, education and road infrastructure, in view of challenges in these areas.
