THE Citizens Initiative (CI), an organisation that connects individual and institutional donors to support the needy and under-served African communities, has withdrawn from a classroom construction project at Chingwizi Primary School in Masvingo province after facing months of bureaucratic hurdles.
The project, initially backed by local authorities, stalled despite CI securing clearance from the Provincial Affairs and Devolution office on November 6 this year.
CI began delivering materials on November 18 but was ordered to halt activities pending a meeting with local and central government officials.
While a November 21 meeting allowed the project to proceed, CI was later informed of new demands, including mandatory registration as a private voluntary organisation and routing funds through the local council.
“These new demands, combined with the continuous delays and increasing administrative burdens, have made it impossible for us to continue,” CI president Freeman Chari said in a statement during the weekend.
“We had already spent 12% of the funds raised on endless meetings and co-ordination.”
Following board consultations, CI decided to withdraw, though it pledged to donate the purchased materials to the school.
This is not the first time CI has faced such setbacks.
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Chari noted previous withdrawals from projects in Masvingo, Mt Hampden and Nkayi due to similar challenges.
“We are deeply saddened that we could not fulfil the wishes of our donors or provide better learning spaces for the 662 children at Chingwizi Primary School,” Chari said.
“Despite this setback, we remain committed to supporting Zimbabwean communities. We will keep searching for ways to help and we trust the children of Chingwizi will one day have the classrooms they deserve.”
Masvingo Provincial and Devolution Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira’s mobile phone was unreachable yesterday.
