LALANGWE Mbambangwe Memorial Trust, a non-governmental organisation founded by a former ZPRA cadre in honour of the late former Vice-President Joshua Nkomo has accused Matobo Rural District Council of delaying the approval of a site for the construction of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo School of Tourism and Hospitality in the area.
BY SILAS NKALA
The trust engaged Matobo RDC in 2011 seeking land to build the school in honour of the late nationalist.
Trust founder Linganiso Mdabuko Nyathi yesterday said Matobo RDC was yet to peg the land he identified for the project.
“Despite Matobo RDC’s retrogressive attitude of not pegging our site, we are focused. Their action is viewed as deprivation of development to the community,” Nyathi said.
“Since 2011, the local authority has been dragging its feet in approving the site for us.”
Nyathi said he initially engaged the village head in Maphisa and villagers who were supportive of the project.
“I want to honour the late Father Zimbabwe by building a Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Tourism and Hospitality School and other facilities. I have made an application with the same local authority and in turn they asked me to pay a $50 administration fee which I did. In turn they invited me to the site and we met,” Nyathi said.
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“After the visit together with the Department of Physical Planning, they promised to call me within 14 days to visit the site for pegging and promised to give me an offer letter, site plan and lease agreement so that I use the documents for donor funding appeals.”
He said up to now the council has remained quiet.
“The trust is in honour of Nkomo and other heroes and heroines with the aim to have proper documentation about the cause of going to the liberation war. The trust is currently identifying and setting up provincial structures across the country,” he said.
“Council must be very clear on how long they take to respond to applications. The applicant must not suffer waiting when the local authority is silent.”
His project plan shows that he will build the school of tourism, accommodation for students and staff, conference centre, monumental museum with a library inside, Indakane centre, garden heroes, chalets for tourists, grounds for sporting activities, recreational facilities and restaurants. Contacted for comment yesterday, Matobo RDC chief executive officer Elvis Sibanda said he could not remember the project, indicating that he was out of office on his way to Harare.
“I cannot remember that, I will have to reconsult my records. It’s only that as I speak I am on my way to Harare, I will be back in the office on Monday, you can call me then,” Sibanda said.
