MARONDERA - As the provincial capital of Mashonaland East, Marondera is home to an estimated 150 000 residents, and is the centre of activity for people from surrounding farms and rural areas.
Hundreds of people travel through the town on their way to different destinations, such as Harare, Mutare and the communal areas of Wedza, Devedzo, Murewa, Mudzi and Mtoko. The main highway linking Harare to the Zimbabwe-Mozambique entry point at Machipanda Border Post in Mutare passes through Marondera. Despite the current rain season and overwhelming human activity in the town, shelter at the main bus terminus seems no priority for the local authority.
Last week Thursday, Member of Parliament for Marondera Urban Constituency, Ian Kay, unveiled and sought suggestions from stakeholders for projects deserving consideration under the US$38 000 government funded constituent development fund. No mention was ever made about the need for a shelter at the main town terminus.
Marondera lies in the watershed belt of the country and experiences heavy rains. Since the rain season started in October last year, people doing business in the town have experienced untold hardships arising from no appropriate shelter. The only shelter available at the busy bus terminus is a public toilet. It is disappointing to note that city fathers do not regard the terminus as a priority. Vendors and buses paying levies to the council experience hardships during the rainy and sunny seasons as they have no shelter over their head, said Theresa Musonza, a veteran vendor at the terminus.
Officials at the council accounts department revealed that the terminus was a lucrative fat cow for the town council, raising more than US$200 per day in collected bus levy. Every month, revenue collected from buses and vendors averaged US$7 000. One month of revenue would meet the cost of adequate shelter.
Wares sold by flea market vendors at the open terminus are destroyed and vending business regularly interrupted by rain. We feel short changed by the authorities as they were only interested in collecting revenue from us without improving facilities in the town. Without shelter at the terminus, life will continue to be difficult for us as the rain season is expected to last until March, said a disgruntled flea market vendor, Naison Mavhunga.
Kay indicated that top of his priority list would be the provision of electricity generators at the towns two major clinics in Dombotombo and Nyameni suburbs. He also has plans to install water tanks at the medical institutions from the constitution development fund. Public toilets at the Provincial General Hospital and in the central business centre will also be rehabilitated. The MDC-T Legislator urged stakeholders to come up with other project proposals which might benefit from the allocated funds.
Post published in: News