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Cde Killer Zivhu

The Interview : Freeman Razemba

CHIVI Rural District Council chairman Councillor Killer Zivhu recently hosted the second Chivi Zim-Asset conference where people who hail from the district and investors from elsewhere converged at Chivi Growth Point to discuss development. Technocrats who come from Chivi and working in various fields were present, as well as those interested in development in the district. A number of investors also came to find out what Chivi has to offer and weigh the possibilities of committing their funds. One of the purposes of the conference, according to Cllr Zivhu, was to take stock of the year gone by from the first conference. Our Senior Reporter Freeman Razemba talks to Cllr Zivhu about this and other issues.

Question: Cde Zivhu you are at the forefront of talking about Zim-Asset, what is motivating you when all other leaders seem quiet about it?

Answer: We talk about it and do it. We are talking about Zim-Asset. We are actually preaching it to the people and at the same time we are doing it. The reason being, the President came up with the programme. The President is our leader, he is our President. He has come up with the Zim-Asset programme which is supposed to be implemented by us Zimbabweans especially those in leadership.

Of course as usual you would find that, those who are in opposition, even if they are leaders, are reluctant to implement what the ruling Government has implemented. But for those who belong to Zanu-PF like us, I think it is our duty to stand and support our Head-of-State not by just talking, not by just addressing people but by doing things that help the people as the President wants the project to assist especially the most vulnerable ones.

Q: You have even gone to the extent of publishing the Chivi Zim-Asset Brief. How is it being received in the community?

A: We publish it (The Chivi Zim-Asset Bulletin) once every six months, but people are actually complaining that six months is a lot of time, why don’t you reduce six months to four months. To show that it has been received, a lot of people are keeping the copies. Right now you meet people in Harare and Bulawayo they can show you a copy of the bulletin of last year but one. They can throw away other newspapers but not the Chivi Zim-Asset Bulletin because they feel they own it or even associate with it as theirs.

On our bulletin that is where we update the people on the projects that we are our doing in Chivi, that the Government is doing, that the council is doing and what the individuals are also doing. This is also a platform where when we need help or assistance we also tell the nation and everybody that people in such areas need help. Since the launch of our bulletin there had been a lot of projects that were not completed but due to the fact that people were reading it, some from Chivi and some not from Chivi, people from different areas, donors, some Embassies were reading it. We didn’t know that people read it. We didn’t know that it has such big readership and people are not coming in to assist. A lot of projects have been completed and new projects have been started.

Q: Just before the Heroes Holiday, the weekend before the holiday, you organised the Chivi Zim-Asset, how did it go? And did the community rise to the challenge?

A: It was a success and it was very fantastic. People from all walks of life came, some from different parts of the country and others from outside the country. I think the people of Chivi are geared up to change their own district. What I did as a leader is to let people know that their future is in their hands, their future is in their destiny. Yes of course we have got the Government, we have got the council, we have got donors but we have to be donors of our own. And for us to succeed, for example Chivi is a dry area it’s actually more of a desert and our programme what we called people for is that we want to harvest water. We want people to have reservoirs in each and every village. What we did with Zim-Asset, we simplified it into categories of which in Chivi we have what we call the Chivi Village Zim-Asset. Each village has to exercise things that are sustainable to themselves because the Zim-Asset programme has to start from the Village. To us the key area is about sustainability. What do we do in order to improve our health and we can keep on doing that, food security and everything?

So everyone in each and every village people are doing this, that is why we call it Village Zim-Asset and we are seeing results. People are now able to do things on their own, people are now able to take care of their own village, people are now able to electrify their village whether by solar or by electricity, people are now able to construct roads on their own, people are now able to improve their village building up good infrastructure in their villages.

Q: Was it a one of thing or are you going to organise some more conferences?

A: I am talking about sustainability were we are saying this is how we are going to live. The Zim-Asset is a programme that is supposed to take five years but this one which was held was just a programme to teach people on how to do things to sustain themselves. To us the Village Zim-Asset is going to be a life thing, we will always come together and we will always be together. This meeting that we did was the second meeting.

On our first conference we asked the sons and daughters of Chivi to assist us. There was a lot of progress. We set goals and targets at our first meeting. So this one was a feedback conference where we were telling people what we achieved and where we failed and the reasons why. The people were coming in and assisting. We are going to have another conference as we close Zim-Asset in 2018 and we will tell the people what we have achieved on the first five year term. We will also put a new plan for the next five years. We will also put together with the manifesto of the party.

Q. There are reports or rather some saying that all this that you are doing, you are aiming for a higher position within the party? What is your reaction to that?

A: I would want to let people know that many people have asked me several questions on why am I doing this, is it that you are aiming to have better position or you want to become a member of parliament? I would like to make it clear to fellow Zimbabweans and people from Chivi, I do not have intentions of becoming a Member of Parliament or a Senator or taking any other position which is above being a councillor. I decided to be a councillor and this is my second time. My heart bleeds for the people where I come from. I am going to contest elections as a councillor in 2018 and If I get a favour from the people of Chivi, I don’t know if they will retain me as a chairman of Chivi or not. If not I will remain as a councillor and I will continue to serve the people of Chivi. Chivi is a district that I like and as an individual I have put a 15-year plan for Chivi; that is the reason why I need two more terms as a councillor.

I want to see irrigation from each and every village. I want to see people survive. We want to transform Chivi like what is happening in Israel right now where people harvest water and do drip irrigation.

I have this vision that in the next 15 years, we must have other people who will come to Chivi to look for food. They should be other people from other districts coming to Chivi, looking for food and not people of Chivi going to look for food. We must be able to provide Zimbabwe with food. We must be a breadbasket for the country. This is the reason why I want to come back as councillor in 2018 and if I am still alive to contest, I will come back again in 2023.

Rushing to be a Member of Parliament when you have not done anything especially on a position that you were elected will not make any sense. In the sense that all you would want is positions, positions and positions and not working for the people. Even if you are a councillor or even if you have any other position in a village, people will always notice you that you are working hard.

Q: What is your advice to the leadership of other communities as far as taking ownership of Zim-Asset?

A: My advice to politicians is that let us get out of the election mode. Elections have come and have passed. We are accountable to the people that elected us. Let us get into the development mode.

Let us just not say I would want to come back again to Parliament in 2018, or you just want to come back to council or as a Senator. You are thirsty for power, you are thirsty for a position. You should rather be thirsty for development and being with the people.

Let us not jostle for positions. Where ever you are, if you perform, you can still be outstanding. This is the reason why people are not satisfied. That is the reason why we have these problems happening, these factionalism issues, is because people are jostling for power. Everyone wants to position themselves. Let us be satisfied with where we are and our duty as leaders is to serve the people. If we are given an opportunity to serve the people, serve the people and the people will recognize you it doesn’t matter even if you are serving them from the villages.

Q. Your advice to other Zimbabweans?

A: Charity begins at home. I would like to urge Zimbabweans to develop especially areas where they come from. We have a lot of Zimbabweans with money while others have ideas and experience. Let us join hands and build Zimbabwe together. We can fly our flag high as Zimbabweans.