ZAPU tackles Gwanda issues head on

The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) under the leadership of Doctor Dumiso Dabengwa has vowed to take on Gwanda's continued woes head on.

In an exclusive interview, the Secretary for Information and Publicity in the Matebeleland South youth wing Clement Zikhali said that ZAPU notes with great concern the deteriorating conditions of the provincial capital in the hands of the current government and they want to offer an alternative to the people of Gwanda.

"We are worried about deteriorating standards of infrastructure, high unemployment rate and dismal pass rates in primary schools in Gwanda. We have also discovered that most of Gwanda's secondary schools have no science equipment and most have no electricity and no laboratories leading to the poor results from the schools," said Zikhali.

In the recently published grade 7 and A' level results Gwanda District produced the worst results country wide.

Zikhali further lambasted government's lack of commitment to the development of technical education in the district as the only polytechnic in the province does not offer any technical qualifications a sorrow sight for a mining and agriculture district.

"Our tertiary institution is the only polytechnic in the country without technical diplomas or technology related degrees."

Gwanda recently opened a State University which is meant to concentrate on mining and agriculture related science and technology but the university has been relocated from Gwanda and operates from Insiza and Bulawayo in the name of Gwanda State University. "Development is at zero in general in Gwanda and so ZAPU is now taking immediate steps to find solutions through engaging with communities, government and donors to address this anomaly a sorry state which is against fundamental rights of citizens," fumed the radical youth leader.

Asked on what his party has done so far in trying to intervene or alleviate the problems of Gwanda, Zikhali indicated that his party is on the verge of sitting down with all responsible authorities in the district and push for action in solving the issues of Gwanda.

"We are yet to set and book down meetings, one by one, with relevant authorities including Chiefs, District Administrator, Provincial Administrator until finally the Provincial Affairs Minister to air our concerns and push for immediate action to bring Gwanda back to life."

Since its "break away" from Zanu-PF, ZAPU has been advocating for the devolution of power system of governance which they believe is the only way by which the provinces will foster their own developments a concept which Zikhali says they will use to bring development and recognition to Gwanda.

"We are still implementing and selling our flagship policy to the people which is devolution of power where we want provinces to have their own parliaments, judiciary systems, revenue collection systems and get people to be responsible for their social economic, cultural and political development by having full control of resources within their areas and that's what Gwanda needs and deserves right now."

"In the meantime we are asking the people of Gwanda to bring forward all their issues to ZAPU so that we record them and then petition the authorities as a party."

Zikhala concluded that his party was very concerned with the slow or lack of commitment by government to implementing the devolution of power concepts as inscribed in the new constitution. He assured the people of Gwanda that ZAPU will fight very hard to make sure that the devolution of power is enforced and his party will take it further when it takes over governance of Matabeleland South Province in 2018. "We will win in 2018 and we will have a full devolved state of affairs in the country and our starting point is Gwanda" conclude Zikhali.