VILLAGERS in Gwanda North, Matabeleland South province, have pooled resources together to fund the rehabilitation of the Shaka-Mtshabezi Road amid concerns over delayed construction of the road by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency.
Speaking to Southern Eye, ward 4 councillor Nokuthula Moyo said they resorted to self-funding for the rehabilitation of the road after waiting for years for the government to intervene.
She said even food aid could not be delivered owing to the poor state of the road.
“The road has been very difficult to use during the rainy season and this shows how we have been suffering as it is one of the roads that leads to the clinic,” Moyo said.
“It has been very difficult to transport people and goods using that road. Even going to health centres has been difficult, that is why we decided to fund the rehabilitation of the road for our own benefit.”
Moyo said they bought 22 bags of cement and engaged Gwanda Rural District Council to survey the road.
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She said the only process that was left was patching of the road, adding that they had engaged individuals from the district who were in the diaspora to assist with funding the project.
Members of the diaspora community, Moyo said, expressed willingness to partake in the programme.
Meanwhile, Moyo has said the community is facing serious water shortages because the area had a few boreholes leading to villagers queuing during the night.