Rusape guns for municipality status Rusape Town Council workers plant trees along the streets
Rusape Town Council workers plant trees along the streets

Rusape Town Council workers plant trees along the streets

2402-1-1-IMG_3818Sydney Kawadza – Senior Writer

“We are looking at transforming the town that when we apply for municipality status all the standard requirements would have been met.”

Stagnant growth has jolted the Rusape Town Council to embark on several projects that, when completed, would see the authorities apply for municipality status.

The council has set itself targets that would see service for the more than 31 000 residents receive quality service from the authorities.

In an interview, Rusape Town Council secretary Mr Joshua Malingwa said everyone at the council was geared for the challenge.

“We are looking at transforming the town that when we apply for municipality status all the standard requirements would have been met,” he said.

Some of the projects lined up for the facelift include the construction of the Vengere Poly-Clinic, construction of roads in new suburbs, intensifying street lighting projects while land for urban expansion would be applied for.

“The $400 000 Vengere Poly-Clinic would relieve pressure for the Vengere and Tsanzaguru Clinics so we have made this one a special project.

“Besides our ordinary residents, our clinics also serve close to 5 000 people from villagers surrounding the town so this is a critical project for us,” he said.

The clinic is set to be officially opened by the end of the year.

Council has three new residential areas that have been serviced.

The residential areas; Magamba, with 1 650 housing units, Magamba Extension (1 882) and Crocodile Park, would have standard gravel roads.

“We have started working on the roads, water and sewer reticulation systems in these suburbs. The roads in Magamba have been completed and people can now access the area.

“Crocodile Park is our flagship suburb so we want to ensure its of high standard comparing with the rest of the world.

“We are losing a lot of water to old and dilapidated infrastructure in Vengere but we have acquired $52 000 worth of pipes that would help us in this project.”

Mr Malingwa said council was also working on an Environment Impact Assessment for a new dump-site for the town.

He said the authority was also seized with a vigorous campaign for land for urban expansion.

“We are targeting the Zimati Kop Farm, which has 1 100ha, Greywell Farm (75ha) and Rockingstone Farm (900ha) to reach our target of providing at least 2 000 stands per year from the current 100 stands.

“We have engaged the responsible authorities and I am hopeful we will be in a position to meet the standard requirement for the municipality status,” he said.

Mr Malingwa said the council was already completing the street lighting projects using solar and power from ZETDC while most tower lights have been switched on.

Council, he said, was courting partners for three crucial projects.

“We are engaging Zinwa with plans to build a hotel and conference centre along the Rusape Dam shores where there was the boating club.

“We would also soon flight tenders for two state-of-the-art shopping malls, one, to be constructed at the five hectare piece of land before the bridge along the Harare-Mutare Highway before the Rusape River Bridge.

“The other five hectare piece of land earmarked for a shopping mall is between the CMED and DDF workshops,” he said.

The Rusape Town Council is expecting to receive a fire tender worth $145 000 in a bid to enhance their chances of attaining municipality status.

The local authority was established in 1900 and is situated along the Harare-Mutare Road and railway line.

According to the 2012 Census, Rusape has a population of 31 080 and a land area measuring 1 050 hectares.

 

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