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The Wedza Rural Development Initiative Trust (WERDIT) has called upon the government to expedite the allocation of devolution funds as a way of enhancing development in the area.
WERDIT Director, George Makoni said the devolution principle is plausible and must be seen to be facilitating development at the local level.
“The Government of Zimbabwe has decentralized power to local authorities so that governance happens at the local level. It is therefore imperative that the five percent of the devolution funds from the national fiscus be released early so that public works commence for the benefit of the local communities,” said WERDIT.
In their position paper on the 2022 National Budget, the residents’ trust also submitted proposals on how devolution funds can be used to spearhead development in Wedza.
WERDIT posited that devolution funds in Wedza should go towards rehabilitating the road network in the area, water provision, improving health facilities, and electrification of schools among other priorities identified during the 2022 budget consultative meetings held in Wedza district.
“The road network is in a severely dilapidated state of disrepair and in some areas motorists have suffered major losses as the roads cause accidents and loss of life. The roads are heavily potholed and the major roads are strip tarred and gravel.
“Also, water availability is a challenge in most communities and people have to rely on shallow and unprotected wells. This, in turn, compromises the community’s health. The supply of clean and potable water is a must as well as a constitutional right. Communities are most affected during the dry seasons as they travel long distances to access water. The current need, therefore, is to rehabilitate the existing boreholes and drill new ones in communities where there are none. Resettlement areas in wards 1, 2 and 3 have perennial water challenges as there are no boreholes,” said Makoni.
On the aspect of health, Makoni said there is a need to capacitate health facilities in the district, review consultation fees as well as provide sanitary pads for underprivileged girls and women.
He also highlighted that there is a need to set up vocational training centres to assist youths.
“Wedza is in dire need of a skills transfer institution to equip school leavers and those less academically gifted. Currently, there is no vocational training centre in the district This initiative will harness and improve skills for many of the youths in the district as they will spend most of their time productively and reduce idleness and illicit activities like prostitution, drug addiction, and becoming habitual thieves,” said Makoni