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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE Municipality has started naming streets, suburbs and business centres in line with its attainment of municipal status and the local authority’s modernisation drive, an official has said.

The town’s housing officer, Mr Nicholas Muleya, said the exercise was being carried out under the provisions of Section 212 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15).

Beitbridge Town was elevated into a municipality last year as part of the Government’s initiative to accelerate development at the country’s busiest port of entry.

Mr Muleya said they held consultative meetings with senior citizens, local legislators and other stakeholders between 2016 and 2018 and they were now installing signage (including billboards and maps) of the streets and suburbs.

“A total of $37 500 will be spent on the billboards of the suburbs and street naming in 2019,” he said.

“You will note after concluding the consultations and collection of the names (that they are) mostly clan names, animals and trees around our district which we take pride in.

“We have started installing billboards and maps around the suburbs.

“Initially, we had only one suburb, Dulivhadzimo, and most of the new suburbs were with business centres or land developers’ names. These were, however, informal.”

Mr Muleya said under the new set-up, there are 12 suburbs, which are: Matibe (formerly Eastly, low- Density), Tshidixwa (old medium- density near OJs Business Centre), Stauze (Mashavire, Garikai, Two Rooms and Mangavha areas), Khwalu 1 (Shule-shule and SDP stands), Kwalu 2 (Mfelandawonye and Forit stands), Mabidi (medium-density west of White Lodge) and Vhembe View (old low-density and CBD   area).

“Other suburbs are Madinginye (high- and medium density suburb west of Welton Primary School), Siyoka (low-density stands along Bulawayo Road), Limpopo View (west of border post), Dulivhadzimo (old Dulivhadzimo and Vhembe High School area) and Milayo Industrial Area (industrial area north of old medium-density suburbs),” he said.

Mr Muleya said the naming of streets and suburbs would help to improve service delivery issues, especially the provision of social amenities,and address challenges around services which include ambulances, fire brigade and the police to respond to emergency calls.

He said services such as postal deliveries cannot be introduced without proper organisation of suburbs and streets, thereby hindering billing systems among other challenges.

“We have also new names for the roads leading to Harare (Tshikwelengwe) and Bulawayo (Robert Mugabe) and the one cutting across the border and CBD (Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo),” he said.

“The other major roads are Mahopolo,Industrial Link,Makhado, Tsinoni (CBD), Tshifhumila (CBD), Kohomela (industrial area), Mazibeli (medium-density suburb), Goda (Limpopo View suburb) and Makavhane (Dulivhadzimo suburb).

“The process is continuous and we are inviting those with named clans to partner with us in putting signage on the streets.

“These should also confirm to our modern standards.”