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George Maponga and Saul Mauruka

The Government has set aside nearly $4 billion for the construction of a bridge at Chilonga across Runde River, this year in a move that will bring relief to communities in northern and southern parts of Chiredzi district.

Runde, one of the biggest rivers in Zimbabwe, bisects Chiredzi north and south cutting-off the district commercial capital of Chiredzi in the north from Chikombedzi in the south.

The river has earned a place in infamy amongst the communities as every year people lose their lives while trying to cross from either side during the rainy season when the low-lying bridge at Chilonga will be submerged by floods.

This year only at least two people have already lost their lives after being swept away trying to cross the flooded Runde river using the low-level Chilonga bridge.

The other bridge across Runde used to be in Gonarezhou National Park demarcating the mega park into two halves, but it was swept away by Cyclone Eline more than 20 years ago and has not been repaired.

Plans to build an all weather bridge at Chilonga had been hampered by lack of funding.

The topography of the area also makes it difficult to design and build a secure bridge as the area around Chilonga has loose soils that can compromise the foundation of the structure.

However, the new dispensation led by President Mnangagwa is pulling all the stops to build an all weather bridge at Chilonga line with Vision 2030.

Infrastructural development is cited as a key enabler of socio-economic development under the National Development Strategy 1 hence the fresh push to allocate more resources to roll out projects like the Chilonga bridge.

Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development Clemence Chiduwa says the Government is this year making good on its promise to build an all-weather bridge at Chilonga.

Speaking to the Chiredzi community during a meeting to unpack NDS1, Deputy Minister Chiduwa said the bridge project was a priority for the  Government with a tender for its construction set to be floated in due course.

He said the Chilonga bridge project was a key priority for the country.

“We are going to start work on national projects such as the Chilonga bridge across Runde River here in the Lowveld so that we don’t continue to unnecessarily lose more lives. Many people have lost their lives while trying to cross from one side of the river to the other,” said Deputy Minister Chiduwa.

“Accessibility is also important because an all-weather bridge means some areas that are inaccessible sometimes because the river will be flooded will be accessed all the time.”

A veterinary officer is the latest in a string of several fatalities recorded at Chilonga bridge with the victims being swept away and drowning while trying to cross the river.

Desperate villagers and travellers resort to using dangerous home-made canoes to cross Runde during the rainy season when the low-level bridge will be covered under flood water. Currently travellers only cross the river safely during the dry season when the river bed will be devoid of water.

The Government has spread its wings in the tendering process for building the new Chionga bridge with Deputy Minister Chiduwa saying the complex nature of the project required the best available expertise.

“The tender for the construction of this bridge (Chilonga) will be open even to international construction companies so as to ensure standard infrastructure development.”

Chiredzi South National Assembly member Cde Callisto Gwanetsa led villagers and Chiredzi community members in making an impassioned plea to expedite construction of Chilonga bridge to save lives and also stimulate commerce between Chiredzi town and the Chikombedzi rural hinterland.

Chiredzi West legislator Cde Farai Musikavanhu hailed the Government for organising the meeting to unpack NDS1 to the Chiredzi community saying the whole nation needs to appreciate what the Second Republic was doing to engender socioeconomic development in line with Vision 2030.

Cde Musikavanhu said the local community needs to leverage on the sugar industry and maximise benefits from the sugar value chain.

He said key crops such as sugar and cotton offered scope for the Chiredzi community and the entire Lowveld to consider value addition of these resources to develop economically.

The Chiredzi West parliamentarian paid tribute to President Mnangagwa’s administration for setting in motion a programme for more urban dwellers to get title deeds for their properties saying this will unlock capital for them from financial custody institutions to kick-start fresh projects.

The Lowveld has potential for expanding sugar production and also increase the land under plantation crops such as citrus via a planned greenbelt at the vast Nuanetsi Ranch that is irrigable using water from Tugwi-Mukosi Dam and other water bodies.