Develop rural areas to stop urban influx

THE recent disturbances in Harare between the transport operations, commuters and vendors is a cause for concern but the root cause is the large influx of people into cities with no notable incomes, jobs and housing that is the cause for social unrest.

The long term solution lies not in arresting the culprits but in curbing the source. The rural areas are the least developed and young people are trekking daily to the cities in search of jobs etc. this cannot go on forever without negative results. Let us resolve this by a vigorous campaign to develop the rural areas in all sectors and absorb the number of these young people locally.

The major areas to develop are the provision of services such as good roads, access to clean water, electricity, upgrade service centres to have banks, ATMs, supermarkets small industries etc. the rural folk want to have all the facilities found in most of our major centres. They feel that the only place where one can get a better life is in the crowded city.

The powers that be please speedily start to set up these facilities in these remote places.

Also the national water body Zinwa should lower all water charges in the productive irrigation schemes as these prohibit better incomes for rural farmers under these schemes. Zesa the power utility should set up infrastructure of transformers, poles and power lines throughout the rural areas. Many people want electricity in the rural areas but it’s a luxury to get it, but look at the cities, they’re all bright lights hence people flock there.

Once these two parastatals invest heavily in the rural areas all sectors will find it easy to set up shop and the people will support them.

There are also natural resources found in some remote areas like gold, timber, diamonds, large dams, cattle and goats and many others so these developments will unleash potential and stop the unending trek to the crime burdened cities. Food for thought. Richard Ncube, Silalatshani Business Centre.