By Byron Mutingwende
In 2008, the Bindura South Constituency resembled a cemetery due to the grinding poverty brought about by hyperinflation. It is that time when Remigious Matangira, the current Member of the House of Assembly for the area began his philanthropic work by spearheading development initiatives.
“Bindura became my permanent home in 1981 just after I had relocated from Bulawayo. Since I grew up as an orphan, it is natural in me to help people in need. The people of Bindura South voted a member of the opposition in 2008 to represent them in parliament since there were promises that the MDC had the keys to unlock development and end poverty.
“Having voted the opposition, there was no development in the area from 2008. The constituency Development Fund (CDF) was misappropriated. When the country went for the presidential election re-run, I offered services like grinding mills, tractors, hammer mills as well as self-help projects,” Honourable Matangira said.
The MP started gardening projects and provided over 30 000 chickens to every village within the constituency. Each village head got over 100 chickens. The legislator works tirelessly to identify, design and implement solutions to problems peculiar to particular areas.
In doing so, he uses a multi-stakeholder approach, which involves the youths, village heads, headmen, chiefs, councillors, development partners, civil society organisations and the government.
“I did the above mentioned projects before I was MP right from 2008. I offered free tillage to people in Wards 8, 11, 12, 16 and 18. The people saw the goodness of supporting ZANU (PF) through me. I built a classroom block and teachers’ houses at Chireka Secondary School before I was MP.”
Having seen the development work spearheaded by Honourable Matangira, the ZANU (PF) district leadership for the area asked him to stand as a Member of the House of Assembly in 2013. Initially, he was elected district coordinating committee chairman of the party in 2008. In 2013, he won with over 14 000 votes against 4 000 garnered by the opposition. Matangira has vowed to increase his footprint on development.
Working closely with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, Hon Matangira was instrumental in constructing Nhungudza Irrigation Scheme with a target of growing crops like vegetables like onions, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and green peppers under irrigation.
Hon Matangira has also sourced 15 boreholes for the community in the respective wards where he is building clinics and schools. Under command agriculture, the Bindura South constituents now regard food shortages as a problem of the past since all households have enough stocks of food in their granaries.
Paradzai Dyare, the projects chairman of Bindura South said Matangira was guaranteed of a secure place in parliament since his work was focused on promoting sustainable development. Over 350 families are benefitting from the scheme.
Tafadzwa Nyakudya, a ZANU (PF) local youth leader from the area hailed Hon Matangira for rehabilitating the Masembura Hora pass which was impassable for many years. The work of Matangira cascades education and health sectors.
Tracy Parije, a village health worker from Masembura said women in the area had promised to vote Matangira in the upcoming 2018 elections since he had built many mothers’ shelters in the constituency.
“As village health workers, year in year out we were experiencing many cases of child and maternal mortality. Honourable Matangira came in with a solution by building mothers’ shelters within the constituency. There are mothers’ shelters at Chigiji Clinic, one at Rutope Clinic, one at Nyava Clinic and another ones at Mupandira and Manhenga Clinics,” Parije said.
Mashonaland Central Province is home to many newly resettled farmers. In pursuit of advancing quality education by improving the learning environment, Hon Matangira started a secondary school that is now at roof level and is expected to open its doors to students beginning January 2019. He also built an early child development (ECD) block at Nyava Primary School. At Dongorembanda Primary School, he built a classroom block. At Guhwa Primary School, he put a roof to a teachers’ house and did the same for Masembura Primary School.
A teacher in the area, Pauline Matsatse, said he was happy that Hon Matangira built an ECD block at Dengu Primary School in Ward 14 of the Muchapondwa area.
“Words fail to express our gratitude to Hon Matangira. He replaced the roof at Musana Primary and is building clinics at Super Growth Point, another one at Chireka in Ward 9, another clinic at Guwa in Ward 18. In ward 8, he built two classroom blocks as well as replaced the roof to teachers’ houses at Bemberero Primary School. In Ward 21, he is building a clinic at Samora,” said Chief Masembura.
Hon Matangira is a Member of Parliament’s Committees of land and mines and energy. He participates in the alignment of laws as a legislator and as a farmer and miner he contributes effectively in the development of those sectors.