CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa, says it is regrettable that Nkayi in Matabeleland North remains underdeveloped 43 years after independence.
He made the remarks while addressing a campaign rally at Nesigwe, Nkayi North on Wednesday to drum up support for his party ahead of the August 23 polls.
“Nkayi has been abused by Zanu PF for years,” Chamisa said.
“We have seen the underdevelopment here. There are no roads, hospitals, schools and other social amenities. Nkayi is screaming poverty.
“We want to get rid of the bad smell that has been caused by Zanu PF. We will make sure that rural areas such as Nkayi have access to critical services.”
Underdevelopment mirrored by poor road infrastructure is what villagers endure in Nkayi and Lupane where there is an abundance of forestry and a multi-billion-dollar timber logging business.
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Timber has been logged for years in the province but several schools in the forest-rich areas of Nkayi and Lupane districts have antiquated infrastructure.
Some of the timber is harvested adjacent to schools that do not have adequate furniture.
The government-instituted national programme combining wildlife conservation and rural development known as Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) has brought little to zero cheer to villagers in the district as underdevelopment persists.
Established in 1988, the Campfire programme was designed to give control of wildlife management to rural communities, so that they invest in wildlife and habitat conservation and in turn, receive dividends.
“The timber that you have here is going to create jobs for your children. We will respect local languages,” Chamisa said.