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From Conrad Mupesa in Mhangura
Villagers from Gudubu resettlement area in Mhangura constituency have expressed concern over the state of roads and bridges in the area. They said the Makonde Rural District Council had not repaired bridges that were damaged by floods during the 2016/17 rainy season.

Zanu-PF district chairman for the area Cde Wellington Makwiramiti said the bridge leading to Village 7, 8 and 9 needs urgent attention for schoolchildren to attend lessons.

“Children from five villages cross the bridge everyday as they go to the other side of the bridge to get education. We are afraid that if urgent attention is not given to the bridge, it will affect the welfare of the schoolchildren,” he said. There is need,to consider another bridge.

“Most bridges that we have in the area were built in the 1990s and have outlived their lifespan. More so, the bridges were designed in such a way that they do not allow water to pass under them. During the rainy season, travelling becomes difficult,” he said. A villager, Mr Ramson Makumbi, said schoolchildren often fail to attend school when there are heavy rains in the area.

“During the rainy season, young school children from the other side of the river find it difficult to cross the bridge. “Sometimes children sleepover at the classrooms as they will be afraid to cross the bridge due to flooding,” Mr Makumbi said. The bridge, he added, was a threat to lives of primary school children.

“Last year, two primary schoolchildren nearly drowned when they tried to cross the submerged bridge. We are afraid that if nothing is done we will lose lives at the bridge,” he said. The villagers also blame local councillor Mrs Scholastic Matigi and Makonde RDC for not doing much over the deplorable state of roads and bridges.

Makonde RDC chief executive Mrs Lohliwe Murefu, however, said council was operating under a shoestring budget. “We got most our of revenue from land taxes, but this has since been taken over by the Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement Ministry,” she said.

The RDC’s engineer, Mr Maynard Nyikadzino, said the allocation of $508 655 to Makonde under Zimbabwe National Road Administration(Zinara)’s road maintenance and rehabilitation project will go a long way in revamping roads and bridges in the district. He said council will soon embark on a massive road rehabilitation programme.