$712m for Chipinge Town Council

CHIPINGE Town Council was allocated $712 million from the 2023 devolution funds, with residents calling on the local authority to prioritise infrastructure development in the town.

In an interview, the council chairperson, Councillor Lovemore Mkwapati said they have lined up various projects that will change the face of the farming town.

Councillor Mkwapati said the council will use part of the money to complete unfinished projects that the council has embarked on.

“We intend to use this money on public lighting, purchasing an ambulance, a grader and the surfacing of Makatapeya Road.

“The money will also be used to finish the Chinheya-Dzonzai road, which is almost complete,” he said.

He added that the council will also prioritise the construction of new schools to address the current shortages haunting Chipinge.

“We will use part of the devolution funds to embark on Phase Two of the construction of St Kelvin Secondary School which is expected to open soon.

“On water projects, we will be upgrading the Bangaazani Water System from the current 300mm pipes to 500mm pipes in order to increase water supply to residents. We will procure and install two large pumps at the dam.

“We will also upgrade our sewer reticulation system in wards one to six, with a big septic tank constructed in Ward Six,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chipinge Town Council’s $4,3 billion budget was recently approved by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Dr July Moyo.

“Our 2023 $4,3 billion budget was recently approved by Government after a long assessment. The major thrust of the budget is to address the infrastructure gaps that the council has, namely roads, waste management, water reticulation and public lighting.

“Public lighting is our top priority this fiscal year as we intend to erect a big tower light in the medium density suburb,” he added.

However, residents expressed mixed feelings over the 2023 budget, with some urging the council to fulfil previous undertakings.

Other residents urged the local authority to deal with genuine suppliers when procuring equipment using ratepayers’ money.

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