PRESIDENT Mnangagwa today heads to Centenary, Mashonaland Central Province, for a Star Rally that is expected to be another huge success, as Zanu PF continues to demonstrate its indomitable mobilisation prowess ahead of the August 23 harmonised elections.
The ruling party is equally upbeat about the rally today which is the fifth one after Chipinge, Bulilima, Magunje and Zaka star rallies in as many weeks.
It is yet another opportunity for the ruling party to demonstrate its popularity.
The Second Republic has turned around the fortunes of Mashonaland Central Province and turned it into a hive of economic activity through its sound policies.
Though major economic activities in the province are agriculture and mining, it is also endowed with tourist attractions including Mavuradonha Wilderness, Kanyemba Corridor, Dande Safaris, Umpfurudzi Game Reserve, Chesvingo Ruins and Tsambe Game Park dotted around its eight districts.
A total of 727 projects are being implemented in the province, pursuant to the Second Republic’s devolution strategy, with 581 of them having already been completed and 146 at various stages of completion.
Major projects that have been spearheaded in the province by President Mnangagwa’s administration include the rehabilitation and upgrading of key water infrastructure as climate proofing of commercial agriculture is a panacea to the restoration of the nation’s breadbasket status.
To this end, the Second Republic has rolled out four major dam projects in Mashonaland Central including Semwa Dam, Bindura Dam, Dande dam and Mbada (Silverstroom) Dam to support irrigation, aquaculture, water supply, hydro-power generation, and recreational activities.
On the mining front, through the conducive economic environment that has been ushered by President Mnangagwa, the province is making invaluable contributions towards the country’s US$12 billion mining economy target and has seen the resuscitation, prospecting and opening of mines.
The resuscitation of Eureka and Shamva gold mines; Muzarabani oil and gas prospecting and drilling, and the establishment of the Guruve Women Gold Milling plant, which is benefiting a cooperative of 125 women and is accessible to other artisanal miners, are just but some of the milestones that have been achieved in the province’s mining sector.
The rehabilitation and construction of roads and bridges in the province has vastly improved the trafficability and accessibility to communities within the province.
Consequently, more than 7 000km of road were rehabilitated through tow and motorised grading across the province’s eight districts.
Pembi, Karanda, Karoi, Chitsato, Sapa and Hambe bridges were also constructed in Muzarabani, Guruve and Mbire districts.
Devolution funds have also been a game changer and enabled the construction and rehabilitation of public service infrastructure including the construction of 13 rural health centres and two model schools, the upgrading of 14 rural schools and repair of five storm damaged school infrastructure.
The establishment of Chahwanda, Bveke, Kaitano, Kamutsenzere and Chigango piped water schemes, drilling of 50 boreholes and rehabilitation of 300 others, has also gone a long way in alleviating water challenges in the province. Under devolution funds, roads have also been maintained and rehabilitated.
“The devolution agenda is commendable as it has changed the lives of so many people in both urban and rural areas through improvement in access to safe, clean drinking water, drilling of boreholes at institutions such as schools and clinics, and in communities.
“Schools and clinics are also being built to accommodate the ever-increasing young population in the province, thereby easing pressure on existing infrastructure,” said the Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Monica Mavhunga.
The Second Republic, under President Mnangagwa, is leaving no stone unturned and leaving no one and no place behind as the country seeks to reach upper-middle-income economic status by 2030.
