A senior member of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC party, Kagurabadza has put the alleviation of hunger top on his list of priorities.
He narrated to The Zimbabwean on Sunday: Soon after winning the elections, I managed to secure mealie-meal among other basic needs and necessities for the needy. During the cold seasons I gave blankets out to those in the cold.
But the parliamentarian has also been eager to wean off his followers from food aid and has been on a drive to assist them grow their own food. With the help of donors he declined to name, Kagurabadza mobilised seeds and other inputs for distribution to several families in his constituency.
During the rainy season I gave people seeds for maize, cowpeas, onions, tomatoes and butternuts among others so that they can grow these to sustain their lives, he said.
The same group of donors has also helped with funds to sink boreholes in the constituency to enable people to grow vegetables for both domestic consumption and commercial purposes, according to Kagurabza.
Farming inputs
But the biggest challenge for Kagurabadza is raising inputs for the next farming season to ensure adequate food production in the constituency.
He said: We are smarting from the 2008/9 hunger and my concern is on how I can acquire seeds, fertilizers, tractors so that they can start preparing for the new forthcoming farming season. The people were not getting enough for their farming needs. Right now I am in the process of finding ways of sourcing the inputs.
Another major concern for the MP is the limited number of clinics in his constituency.
There are not enough clinics especially in the areas where some new farmers have been resettled. There are no drugs and medicines in the clinics. I desperately need some non-government partnerships to fund drugs and medicines, he said.
Kagurabadza expressed concern over the poor state of Mutare General hospital, the biggest referral hospital in Manicaland province under which Mutasa South falls.
I have received numerous reports on the state of Mutare hospital. I have therefore invited the Minister of Health and Child Welfare Henry Madzorera, Mayor of Mutare Brian James and the city councillors to assess the situation.
I am aware that the mortuary cannot cope with the number of bodies it has been receiving because of the cholera outbreak and that the hospital needs a complete urgent renovation, he said.
Education
But as Kagurabadza fights to restore public health in Mutasa South another huge task awaits him that of refurbishing the dilapidated public schools that are the source of education for the majority of children in his constituency.
He said: There have been massive destruction of school buildings and furniture. There is an urgent need for renovations and replacement of school furniture. There are missing doors and windowpanes – vandals have taken them. Now that we are approaching the cold season the teachers urgently need decent accommodation.
With his constituency spanning a wide area that includes the farming areas and estates in Odzi, Old Mutare and Magamba, Kagurabadza also has to provide for victims of political violence.
Farming areas saw some of the worst political violence, with many families that were perceived as supporters of the MDC victimised and displaced from their homes.
Some war veterans unleashed terror during the height of the March elections. Many houses belonging to MDC supporters were burnt and some people were displaced. This happened at David Meikles farm. More than 20 families have been camped at Tsvingwe.
They have been relying from some well-wishers and donors. I am in the process of talking to the DA (District Administrator) on how best we can address this situation, he said.
Untapped riches
Kagurabadza said his area has got untapped riches that need to be utilised.
Mutasa South constituency is endowed with vast timber, fruit and vegetable resources. He said the constituency had great potential to be the hub of agricultural activity.
I am in the process of inviting various organisations so that we can have partnerships in investing in the constituency. I need them to set up manufacturing plants that process finished products. We have the raw materials available. This will also create employment opportunities, he said.
Mutasa South enjoys favourable weather conditions, which helps agricultural activity all year around. Kagurabadza said the constituency has perennial rivers that can enable irrigation and electricity generation.
There are mineral deposits. Gold is mined at Redwing Mine, which closed down following acute shortages of foreign currency. Alluvial gold is being panned along Mutare river and its tributaries, he explained.
There are a lot of timber production opportunities. Most of it is being exported but we should have factories producing furniture for export and this would create more jobs. With proper management, the agricultural commercial farms can supply vegetables and maize. Other commercial cash crops include tobacco, cotton and coffee, said Kagurabadza.
No hard feelings
Kagurabadza first shot to prominence when he won the Mutare mayoral election on an MDC ticket in 2003.
He defied all odds and campaigned in a hostile political environment that favoured Zanu (PF), but nonetheless he romped to victory. The MDC also swept all the urban council wards.
However, Kagurabadza and his councillors were soon suspended and eventually dismissed by Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo as Mugabes government fought to regain control of Mutare and other major cities that it had lost at the ballot to the MDC.
Although he was shamed and humiliated by Chombo, Kagurabadza says all that is now in the past as he focuses on trying to transform Mutasa South into what he calls the breadbasket of Manicaland.
He said: I have forgotten the past and the people have spoken. My agenda is to transform this constituency into the breadbasket of Manicaland and the country at large.
Post published in: News