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Lovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
VUNGU Rural District Council has unveiled a $2,5 million budget for 2018. Vungu RDC chief executive officer Mr Alex Magura said the budget, which is up from the current $1,8 million, will prioritise uncompleted projects undertaken this year.

“We are proposing a budget of $2 520 875 for 2018 and this is up from the current budget of $1 892 998. We are looking at continuing with some of the projects that we started in the current budget which we have not yet completed or have not been able to commence which include the servicing of stands at Insukamini Growth Point,” he said. Mr Magura said if the ratepayers where to play their role by settling their water and rates bills, the local authority would ensure that council improves on its service delivery mandate.

He said some of the projects council wants to undertake in 2018 include the construction of a clinic in the Tovo area near Shangani. Mr Magura said the clinic would serve people in the area who were travelling long distances to access health facilities in the city of Gweru.

“This coming financial year, we want to start the construction of a clinic in the Tovo area. Actually, we have set aside something for that clinic in the current budget. We have not been able to begin the construction yet. However, some of the locally available building materials like bricks have already been mobilised,” he said. Mr Magura said council was also keen on completing the servicing of 450 housing stands at Insukamini Growth Point.

“As part of bringing investment to the district, council has also applied to the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement to avail more land for development,” he said. Housing development is a critical component of the economic blueprint, Zim-Asset, which targets to develop 150 000 housing units per year from 2013 up to 2018.