By Nqobizitha Moyo
For 41 years, Binga District thoroughly lagged behind many others in terms of infrastructure development.
Clinics and schools were few and many learners walked several kilometres to get to the nearest school.
Those that were not strong hearted, abandoned school and escaping cycles of poverty became difficult at best, and impossible at worst, for many young people.
Clinics were equally few, and home deliveries were largely the order of the day.
Access to decent health care was a pipe dream for many, and the bulk of the people “lived with their diseases” as they could not walk to the nearest clinic that was a minimum of 10km for some and up to 20km for others.
Those with scotch carts and livestock in the form of cattle or donkeys, were literally worshipped as they would be engaged to transport the sick to clinics and the Binga District Hospital.
A few could afford hiring the ox-drawn carts but there were moments when even those with the money could not hire the ‘transport” because the cattle or donkeys would have been ravaged by drought.
Binga District is in agro-ecological region 5 and generally, rains are erratic, and finding green grass or green tree leaves for livestock, especially from August through to early November, remains a luxury to this day.
Sights of extremely thin cattle are commonplace in Binga, and in some areas of the district, some cattle are not in remarkable shape at this time of the year.
So, for lagging behind in terms of development, the people of Binga held Zanu PF solely responsible.
And they have punished the revolutionary party during elections since the year 2000.
The two constituencies, Binga North and South, became bastions of reliable support for the opposition.
Twenty-two years of voting opposition legislators and councillors had worsened the lives of Binga people.
Whatever infrastructure they had deteriorated and the legislators and councillors never bothered to repair it, let alone construct new infrastructure.
But when President Mnangagwa became national President from November 24, 2017, he declared that he wanted to be a President for all Zimbabweans, one who united every corner and every race, tribe and religion in Zimbabwe.
A little under four years since assuming the top job, analysts and ordinary people say President Mnangagwa has succeeded in uniting the people.
His call for development that leaves no one and no place behind, especially under the devolution agenda, has been a huge success.
The devolution agenda allows communities to identify and agree on developments they need, and then seek funding from the Central Government through their local council.
Once the funds have been released, as has been the case since the year 2019, the council would then hire a company or companies to undertake the project.
Some communities that want to identify with the development, have gone on to participate in one way or the other, during the implementation of the various development projects.
For example, others may want to mould bricks for no payment, for the construction of classroom blocks or clinics.
This is the new culture of doing things that has been cultivated by President Mnangagwa under his mantra, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo”.
In the build up to the March 26 by-elections, President Mnangagwa visited Binga seeking support for the Zanu PF candidate for Binga North Constituency.
The President started by acknowledging that the Government had let the people of Binga down since independence.
He didn’t blame them for wasting their votes by voting for opposition parties, but pleaded with them to start trusting Zanu PF again.
President Mnangagwa’s promise that the Second Republic would transform Binga was seen with suspicion by the residents and opposition political parties, to the extent that they went about saying the people should not trust Zanu PF ever again.
However, after some of the promises started to be actioned before the elections, many people in Binga realised that there was some level of honesty in the new leadership of the revolutionary party.
The Zanu PF candidate marginally lost the elections to the opposition but the revolutionary party amassed more votes than it had ever achieved since 2000, a huge confidence booster ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
Investments in health delivery
Binga District Development Coordinator (DDC) Mr Siansolo Land Kabome, said there have been massive developments in the district since the coming in of the Second Republic.
Mr Kabome said lots of developments had been achieved through the use of devolution funds.
In an interview, Mr Kabome said: “Under devolution, and in line with Vision 2030, we are making a lot of inroads in the health sector.
“We are constructing a number of clinics and they are at different levels of completion.”
Four clinics are under construction, namely; Malaria Clinic in Pashu, Sinamunsanga Clinic in Lunga Ward, Zambezi Clinic in Sianzyundu Ward and Chipale Clinic in Sinamagonde Ward.
At the Malaria Clinic construction of the main block and two staff cottages is almost 98 percent complete.
Outstanding works relate to water supply as they are finishing off the laying of pipes and capacity testing of the existing borehole.
In terms of electrification, they are just waiting for Zesa while landscaping is in progress.
Procurement processes for the acquisition of clinic equipment are in progress.
At Zambezi Clinic, they are constructing the main clinic block and two staff cottages.
Overall progress is 76 percent.
Work in progress at the main clinic block relates to plumbing which has been covered 50 percent, tiling and glazing 80 percent and painting 20 percent.
Mr Kabome said at the staff cottages, electrification and plumbing have been completed.
At Sinamusanga Clinic, there is construction of the main block and two staff cottages.
Overall progress there is 79 percent.
In terms of the main clinic block, ongoing works relate drainage, glazing, door fitting, tiling and painting, while for staff cottages, flooring, inside plastering and final painting works are in progress.
At the Kalungwizi Clinic, the substructure is 100 percent complete, brick work is at window level.
Investments in education, water, sewer, roads
Mr Kabome said a sizable portion of their funds have been invested in the education sector.
They have so far constructed a classroom block at Chibondo, teachers’ houses have been constructed in Manjolo Ward, roofing a classroom block at Bulawayo Kraal Primary and Muchesu Primary.
Mansenya Primary also had a classroom block roofed to ensure all learners are protected from the vagaries of the weather.
Some funds have also been invested in water and sewer reticulation for Binga Centre, covering the two and high and medium densities.
In terms of roads, Mr Kabome said the Chininga-Nsungwale has been constructed and gravelled.
Further, the Lusulu Centre Road was constructed together with another one in the low density in Binga town.
Some of the money has also been channelled towards the purchase of a 16-tonne tipper truck, a front-end loader and a refuse compactor.
“We have also purchased four vehicles in preparation for the coming of the Binga Local Board.
“We requested that we have a Local Board to develop the town while the Binga Rural District Council focuses on the rural areas,” said Mr Kabome.
However, he said instead of getting a Local Board, they were now being given town status.
“We are very much indebted to His Excellency the President because being given town status is not easy,” he said.
The advantage of getting town status, he said, was that they will get two votes under devolution funds; one under Binga RDC and the other one under the town, as is the situation in Hwange where the Local Board which is responsible for the town gets money and the Hwange RDC gets some more for the rural areas.
And as more funds are released under devolution, more people will get jobs, said Mr Kabome.
