Most work for the gold mining companies dotted around the area, while some survive through illegal gold panning, which has left a trail of environmental destruction. “There are a lot of gold deposits in this constituency but very few local people own gold claims. Many claims have been pegged but are lying idle – and our own people cannot access those claims,” said Lot Mbambo, the Zanu (PF) senator for the area. Mbambo said he was fighting for the appropriation of the gold claims from some white-owned mining companies such as Duration Gold Mine.
“Duration bought a lot of gold claims that they are not using. We want these to be taken from the company and given free of charge to war veterans, women and youths,” said Mbambo in a recent interview with The Zimbabwean. Mbambo said the constituency was grappling with severe food and water shortages particularly in newly resettled area, where villagers are travelling distances of up to 40 kilometres in search of water. Most commercial farms in the area were wildlife conservancies before the controversial land reform. “Most of the dams and boreholes left by the former white farmers have dried up,” said Mbambo. He said resettled farmers at Goodwood Farm were walking 37 kilometres to Nkosikazi communal area to fetch water.
What the people said
Mbubulo Lusingo: If they want our votes next time, they must address issues affecting us.
A villager in ward 23, Patrick Dlamini, feels that Mbambo and the local Zanu (PF) MP, Clifford Sibanda are not doing enough to address the challenges facing the constituency.
“It has been a lot time since the two leaders held meetings in our area. There are a lot of urgent issues needing their attention. People do not have water and food to eat. Most of the roads are not accessible and people are travelling long distances to the nearest health centres,” said Dlamini.
Mbubulo Lusingo from Ntobi area said: “Now that we are going towards elections, we know the MP and the senator will start visiting us soliciting for our votes. Since the last elections, the two politicians have not been seen in our area. If they want our votes next time, they must address the issues of hunger, water and unavailability of services such as schools and clinics,” said Lusingo.
Lusingo said had it not been World Vision’s poverty alleviation programmes, a lot of people in the area would have succumbed to starvation.
“If World Vision was a person, I really would have voted him into Parliament. The organisation has come to our rescue on a lot of issues. The organisation has assisted our children with school fees, seed, and livestock and irrigation schemes” said Lusingo.
Mbambo said he had not been meeting his constituents because of lack of resources.
“It is impossible to visit my constituency when parliament is not giving us resources. I am not employed and I do not have resources to meet my people as I would have loved,” said Mbambo.
The senator blamed the inclusive government for the challenges bedevilling his constituency.
“The political leaders in the inclusive government are not working together. This discord is jeopardising development .We need one government structure to govern the country,” he said.
Post published in: News