Poor roads deter service delivery in rural areas
A SURVEY conducted by the Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (Cotrad) in Zaka district revealed that many gravel roads that link wards to service centres are in a bad state, disrupting transport services and access to social services.
The survey revealed that the gravel roads are deteriorating at an alarming pace largely due to lack of maintenance by the District Development Fund and the Zaka Rural District Council.
The most affected road is the one that links Chinyaradza Primary School with Zaka main road and Murerekwa Primary School road from Masvingo main road.
The residents also highlighted that there is need for bridges across streams in Gwangwava, Mbuyamaswa villages and across Govorwe River.
The residents are facing challenges in connecting from Gwangwava village to Mbuyamaswa village through Jerera village because the road is bad.
During the rainy season, learners at Murerekwa, Chinyaradza, Mashingaidze and Zaka secondary schools from Jerera, Bhumure, Chiongodzi, Mudziviro villages face challenges to cross Nyatare and Govorwe rivers to attend school.
In Zaka ward 19, the gravel road that links Chipezeze and other surrounding villages leading to Jerera Growth Point via Muzandawe footbridge is in a bad state.
Despite prioritisation of some of these roads by the Zaka RDC in 2019 and 2020 budgets, nothing has been done towards road maintenance.
Cotrad Peace Club members are engaging public officials and Zaka RDC over the concerns.
The Peace Clubs members are also mobilising communities to complement council in maintaining roads which include VezaJerera road, Jerera-Chilo road and Zaka old road from Chiredzi River in a bid to enable access basic services from service centres and Jerera growth point.
The residents said due to poor road infrastructure, service delivery and development continue to suffer setbacks. The abysmal state of road infrastructure requires immediate attention since the road is the common means of transportation essential for service delivery, movement of people and accessibility of local service centres and communities.
As Cotrad, we call upon the Zaka RDC and public officials to respond to the infrastructure development concerns raised by the people.
We also encourage villagers to fearlessly and peacefully engage public officials and relevant ministries to present issues affecting their communities.
The Zaka RDC should prioritise and services delivery and infrastructure development in rural areas. It is provided for under section 276 of the Constitution that the rural district councils should raise sufficient revenue for them to carry out their responsibilities in their areas of jurisdiction.