Simply historic!

MULTITUDES that will gather at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow will be part of a history-making crowd witnessing a momentous event that many unsurprisingly would have thought impossible in their lifetime.

For the first time in the country’s young history, the main Independence celebrations will be held outside the capital, Harare.

This year, Bulawayo will have the honour and privilege of hosting the State ceremonial pageantry that comes with such an auspicious event.

It is simply historic!

While Bulawayo has every reason to celebrate, the nation, too, equally has every reason to be hopeful, especially with the new trajectory taken by the Second Republic.

It is not so much about hosting State events, but the symbolism behind it.

By having the chance to host Independence Day celebrations, provinces will have a chance to share and immerse themselves in the spirit that makes us Zimbabweans.

Fittingly, the theme of this year’s celebrations, “Zim@42: Leaving no one and no place behind,” is quite instructive of the priorities of the new political administration.

Over the past four years, we have seen how the Government has moved with haste to make devolution a reality through parcelling out the constitutionally stipulated 5 percent of the national cake to local authorities around the country.

The results have been as immediate as they have been impactful.

Schools and clinics are being built, roads are being rehabilitated and a lot of resources are being channelled to health and water projects of various communities at a scale like never witnessed before since Independence.

This year, a staggering $42,5 billion has been set aside for devolution, which essentially guarantees continuity of the transformative and developmental projects across the country.

Treasury’s efforts are being aided by a poverty map, which is being used to guide interventions and facilitate the deployment of resources to areas where they are most needed.

What better way to ensure inclusive development?

But, it will be almost impossible to appreciate the value of these projects without reflecting on the challenges that vulnerable communities, especially women and children, are confronted with on a daily basis.

Organisations such as World Vision claim that women and girls spend 200 million hours walking to collect water for families every day.

It is also claimed that in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 3 million children and nearly 14 million women walk more than 30 minutes to collect water, and they often make that trip more than once a day.

So sinking boreholes naturally makes a difference in people’s lives.

Not only does it promote access to potable water, but it affords more time to be channelled to productive pursuits.

The Government is alive to this fact, and this is why President Mnangagwa has directed the District Development (DDF) to drill 35 000 boreholes so that each and every village in the country gets clean water.

The boreholes will also support horticulture activities in the villages to ensure people are productive and earn a living.

Such deliberate and targeted investments mean that indeed “no one and no place” will be left behind.

This has been the hallmark of the Second Republic.

It might be delivering water in farflung Binga, Matabeleland North, delivering piped water in Chivi, Masvingo, or a nutrition garden in Jinjika Village in Mangwe, Matabeleland South.

Or it could even be First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa delivering a solarpower borehole and income-generating projects to the previously forgotten San community in Bulilima District in Matabeleland South.

It’s all hands on deck.

The President is clear-eyed on exactly what he wants to achieve.

In his New Year message to the nation, he indicated: “Under the devolution and the decentralisation agenda, various projects have also significantly benefited our people through the construction of schools, clinics as well as water and sanitation infrastructure . . .

“These will vault the development of rural industry systems and increase the gross domestic product and quality of life in our rural communities.”

And he has been following through on his promises.

Just last week, he was back in Binga, which had been neglected for years, to hand over fishing rigs to chiefs, women and youths.

He also handed over ambulances over and above Zupco buses to ply the route.

This heralds the beginning of multiple projects to improve the lives of the community.

This is a microcosm of what is happening around the country, which gives us all the more reason to celebrate. Our political freedom will not mean much if it fails to deliver prosperity to the people.

This is the new frontier of our struggle and, quite clearly, we are winning.

Long live Zimbabwe!