Destroyed bridge rebuilt after 16 years

THE Zimbabwe National Roads Adminstration (Zinara) has completed the rehabilitation of Chitinha Bridge, in partnership with Chimanimani Rural District Council, more than 16 years after it was damaged by Cyclone Eline.

The bridge, commissioned by the permanent secretary in the ministry of Rural Development, George Magosvongwe, will make it easy for villagers to access critical services such as clinics, schools and markets for their produce.

"The new bridge brings improved mobility for farmers who can now easily receive agricultural inputs under various government programmes such as the Presidential Inputs Scheme and Command Agriculture. Also, it will give them more room to secure markets for their produce such as tomatoes, beans and wheat," Magosvongwe said.

With Zinara improving on its disbursements, council has been making steady progress in repairing roads and bridges, previously damaged by the torrential rains back in 2000.

Strategic bridges such as Nyahode in Rusitu Valley were given priority and have long been rehabilitated.

Magosvongwe heaped praise on the locals for their contribution in the rehabilitation of the bridge.

"It is humbling and inspiring to appreciate the overwhelming participation of communities, from the inception to completion of the work we have to commission.

"The community contributed immensely through the provision of locally-available resources and labour," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chayamiti community finally got piped water for the first time since 1980 following the commissioning of a solar-powered high-yielding borehole by a leading non-governmental organisation.

Speaking during the commissioning of the Chayamiti Piped Water Scheme, mechanised by World Vision recently, Magosvongwe challenged the local community to protect and maintain the borehole.

"You should not expect anybody from Harare to maintain your borehole . . . you should not expect anyone to come to Harare and guarantee the details of your health, preserve your own water infrastructure," he said.

The solar-powered piped water scheme has a distribution network of 9.8km and is supplying water to five institutions which serve nearly 1 000 people everyday. Key institutions are Chayamiti primary and secondary and Dokotoko primary schools as well as the local clinic which serves at least 30 patients each day.

Magosvongwe said locals should also preserve any other public infrastructure.

"If you have a road being graded, preserve that infrastructure so that at community level you will be able to guarantee your own existence in spite of the pressures that may come against a country," he added.

The permanent secretary took a dig at politicians for failing to deliver on their promises saying that was often the source of poor service delivery.

"You beg for our votes and we are going to reply you by placing a demand for tarring of some of our main roads around here going into communal areas," the senior civil servant said.