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Conrad Mupesa

Mashonaland West Bureau

Hurungwe Rural District Council (HRDC) has adopted Government’s Results Based Development Strategy and Rights Based Development Approach in a move aimed at transforming infrastructure and utilities development in 2021.

The council projects are related to social development, water and sanitation, food and nutrition security, value addition and beneficiation, women empowerment, social services, poverty eradication, health and education.

The local authority recently held its strategic meeting for 2021, where it resolved to establish five state-of-the-art boarding schools in various wards and four clinics in each of the 26 wards.

This year, the council acquired a borehole rig from devolution funds, a move that was also hailed by councillors and the business community.

The council’s chief executive Mr Luke Kalavina said the schools, which will accommodate both boarders and day scholars, will offer full information and communication technology (ICT) services.

“As we move forward in upgrading the district, we intend to establish five boarding schools with enough modern ICT equipment to ensure that children will keep abreast with changes in technology,” he said.

“The establishment of boarding schools will also increase literacy rate, improve gender parity and quality of education in the district.

“The boarding schools will have facilities that cater for the physically challenged to promote inclusive education and to ensure that Zimbabwe contributes to attainment of Sustainable Development Goal Number 4.”

Mr Kalavina said council had also resolved to reduce distance travelled by scholars to health facilities by less than five kilometres by setting a target of four new clinics in each of the 26 wards, with Vuti Clinic in ward 4, Masikati Clinic in ward 10 and Chiedza Clinic set to be completed by end of this year.

“Provincial economic growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is another agenda for the council’s 2021 plan,” he said. “More tobacco warehouses and floors are set to be established in 2021 and these are estimated to contribute to three  percent of Provincial GDP.”

The council is also planning to set up a solar powered-piped water borehole and a nutritional garden in each ward to promote food and nutrition security.

Already, the council, which established a beekeeping project, is forging ahead with plans to establish a honey processing plant under the strategic plan and construction of SME complexes to empower women

“Council is going to partner with Zimbabwe Women Bank to ensure that women have access to loans,” said Mr Kalavina. “Hurungwe Rural District Council has already set aside a stand for the bank as well.”

The local authority is also eyeing an improvement in service delivery next year through the acquisition of new graders refuse truck, tippers; refuse compactor and dozers.

The council’s chairperson Alderman Bardwell Chasara said they were expecting significant growth in the coming year.