Villagers pin hopes on ZDF pledge

VILLAGERS in Sengwe communal lands are pinning their hopes on a pledge by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) to make sure the area has facilities such as clinics as a token of appreciation for the role the community played during the liberation of Zimbabwe.

Sengwe, which is located in the Limpopo Valley in southern Chikombedzi, is one of the remotest areas in the country where villagers walk long distances to access basic services.

The area has largely remained underdeveloped because of thousands of landmines which were planted by the Rhodesians.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, during his time at the helm of the Defence Forces promised to bring modern facilities such as a school, hospital, among other things to the community.

In an interview recently, Chief Sengwe said communities in his area were still hopeful that the ZDF will continue to assist them despite VP Chiwenga’s retirement from the army.

The Vice President is still in charge of the Ministry of Defence portfolio in Government, which superintends the ZDF.

“We remain very hopeful that VP Chiwenga will fulfil the promise that he made to us when he was still ZDF commander to construct a hospital, a classroom block and facilitate the installation of mobile phone network boosters in the Gezani area under Sengwe,” said Chief Sengwe.

“The people of Sengwe played a key role in the liberation struggle by virtue of being in an area used by freedom fighters to enter into the then Rhodesia and we are grateful to VP Chiwenga for remembering us for the work we did.”

Chief Sengwe said communities in his area were walking long distances to access services at Chikombedzi District Hospital, which was the only health referral institution in the area.

He said communities in his area were also struggling to communicate via local mobile phone networks owing to poor connectivity, a situation he said was forcing most of the people in his area to rely on mobile phone networks from neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique.

Recently, Secretary for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Mr George Charamba also decried delays in installing radio and television transmitters in the area, 38 years after the country attained independence.

ZDF is carrying out a de-mining programme to remove landmines that were planted by the Rhodesians along Zimbabwe’s border with Mozambique.

The landmines have claimed human life together with livestock and wild animals, with locals optimistic their removal will also open up more farming land.