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Thupeyo Muleya  Beitbridge Bureau

One of the country’s major infrastructure development companies, Bitumen World, has donated 10 000 bricks, 100 bags of cement, 50 cubic metres of quarry stone, and 50 breeding goats to villagers in Beitbridge’s Ward 5, where it is mining the granite rock being used to construct part of the Beitbridge to Harare highway.

Some of the granite rock is being processed to fix roads in Beitbridge town.

Speaking during a community development meeting held at Mahuhushe Village on Sunday, Beitbridge Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Peter Moyo said the donation was part of Bitumen’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The 10 000 standard bricks, quarry stone, and the cement would be used to complete a classroom block being constructed at the Langeni Secondary School, 30km north of the border town.

Mr Moyo said Bitumen World, which is still identifying more CSR projects, had also undertaken to help the community construct a clinic at Lutumba Growth Point, the Ward 5 centre.

At the moment communities at Tshamnanga, Tshigomele, Lutumba, Tshapfuche, Mahushe, Langeni, Mugwazhuli, and Juta are relying on health facilities in Beitbridge town or the Nuli Clinic in Ward 15.

“We are very grateful to this gesture from Bitumen World. It will go a long way in pushing community sustainable development,” said Mr Moyo.

“It is pleasing to note that they are identifying more community social responsibility initiatives around this Ward. The 50 breeding goats will be distributed to the most vulnerable members of community around the Mahuhushe area, who have been directly affected by the mining activities here.”

He said the company had also indicated its willingness to assist the community around the Mahuhushe area to build an Early Childhood Development (ECD) block to cut the more than 4km distance children in the area are walking to Lutumba Primary School.

Mr Moyo said it was also important for communities within Ward 5 to work together in identifying mutual areas which need attention to promote people-centred service delivery.

“We also urge other corporate large and small to emulate what has been done by Bitumen. Development is not a one-man business, but should be done by a collective of stakeholders,” he said.

Mahuhushe’s senior village head, Mr Ben Muleya, said they were hoping that most of their children would be employed at the granite mine and that the company will carry out more infrastructure development projects.

He said they urgently need to construct an ECD block in the area and to fix the existing Water and Sanitation Health (WASH) facilities.