Zimpapers Logo

Thupeyo Muleya  Beitbridge Bureau

A wrangle over the control of water and the slow release of funds are delaying the planned growth and transformation of Beitbridge town, although progress has been recorded since the Government started committing resources to spur development.

Water should not be a problem as Beitbridge has a US$20 million treatment plant to purify raw water from the Limpopo River and nearby Zhovhe Dam.

The amount of water pumped into the town is low and a new suburban development is not connected to the water mains.

As a result, property and industrial development have stalled as people are reluctant to invest because of the water challenges.

The few who are building have to sink their own boreholes and build septic tanks to counter water and sewer challenges.

Although the town has been developing through a Government programme initiated around 2007, water remains a headache for Beitbridge Municipality which is embroiled in a dispute with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) over control of the treatment plant.

Council reckons that the water problems could be solved if it manages its water affairs.

Zinwa has refused to budge, arguing that the local authority is too inexperienced to handle water management on its own.

Shortage of funds to improve on people-centred service delivery is another brake on progress.

Government has done a lot to modernise the once dusty growth point into a town under the National Economic Development Priority Programme (NEDPP) introduced in 2007, which seeks to give Beitbridge a facelift and transform it into a medium-sized city.

NEDPP came with massive civil works, including the construction of 16 blocks of flats to house 64 middle ranking civil servants and their families, 250 core houses for home ownership, 52 F14 houses for civil servants, road dualisation and upgrading of the water supply and sewer infrastructure in the town.

In addition, it also provided for the establishment of a hospital, primary school, secondary school, civic centre, Government composite office block, modern truck inn, shopping complex, a five star hotel, an aerodrome and the upgrading of the border post to meet world class                                                                    standards.

Some of the projects are complete, while others are at various stages of construction.

Since coming into office, the new dispensation led by President Mnangagwa has been hard at work to transform the town and the border post in line with its envisaged Vision 2030.

Civil works on the $241 million border upgrade are underway and it is hoped that after three years, the port of entry will be a modern urban centre facilitating international trade and the free movement of people within the Sadc region.

According to town clerk Mr Loud Ramakgapola, the local authority has covered a lot of ground on its road modernisation, albeit with several teething challenges.

“We are short of equipment to address infrastructural and stands servicing,” said Mr Ramakgapola.

“We have found it difficult to work on any infrastructural work without going to tender which is a very expensive and a slow way to address our infrastructure needs.

“Our focus now is to buy equipment so that we address the gaps.”

Tender costs for roads were high and the budget could not address road infrastructure demands.

“Tenders for public solar lighting have not attracted bidders and we thus have not managed to do any public lighting projects,” said Mr Ramakgapola.

He said they had lined up a number of projects to improve the town’s outlook and growth.

Mr Ramakgapola said so far they had received $796 000 from central Government to roll out devolution projects.

“Our push has been to modernise the bus terminus, paving the CBD area and to ensure that Ward 6 (Garikayi/Hlalani Kuhle) has access to basic services,” he said.

Mr Ramakgapola said they were going to spend the devolution funds on the acquisition of a backhoe, bowser, tipper, compressor, refuse truck and a                                                       compactor.

The town’s housing and development officer, Dr Nicholas Muleya said the municipality was working in partnership with the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) to create a special purpose vehicle to promote investment in the area.

He said so far they had availed 248 hectares of land that would house Special Economic Zone projects to include heavy and light industries.

Dr Muleya said they had already set up a committee with three main sub committees working on planning, infrastructure development and funding and investment promotion.