Conrad Mupesa Herald Correspondent

Farmers in Mhangura have heeded Government’s call to assist in the rehabilitation of the country’s infrastructure such as roads, by bankrolling projects in their area.

The farmers, who are working under the banner of the Mhangura Farmers Association, took it upon themselves to attend to the roads after the responsible authority, Makonde Rural District Council, failed to do so due to financial challenges.

The farmers have been providing diesel for the equipment that is being used in the road rehabilitation project, which was availed by the local authority.

According to the farmers, while the responsibility of repairing the road was that of Makonde RDC, it was equally their duty as the ones who use the road, to assist the New Dispensation’s efforts to grow the economy through the development of infrastructure.

They said as beneficiaries of the land, which was redistributed by the Government, the onus was on them to ensure that they use it productively for the benefit of the whole nation.

Speaking on site during the rehabilitation exercise in Ward 1 of the same constituency, Mhangura Farmers Association’s roads chairperson, Mr Misheck Paradzanwa, said A1 and A2 farmers were contributing diesel.

“The initiative by the farmers has been overwhelming as it was done by a few that use the 30-kilometre Mhangura-Mucherengi Road, who mobilised more than 1 000 litres of diesel and the road is already being worked on,” he said.

He said two white commercial farmers in Ward 1 had also contributed enough diesel to work on the Victory Farm-Chenanga Game Park road which stretched for 50 kilometres and the total number of litres will be known once the work has been finished.

The road rehabilitation exercise that commenced on February 25, is expected to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic and movement of farmers to and from service areas such as Mhangura and Chinhoyi.

Makonde RDC acting chairperson Mr Tarwirei Tayipa hailed the farmers for partnering their local authority which was failing to secure enough fuel for road rehabilitation. He said council was ready to avail the same grader to farmers in Makonde constituency if they organised themselves like those in Mhangura.

Makonde district development coordinator, Benjamin Zivanai, applauded the farmers and urged others in the district to emulate the initiative which has brought development to the district.

He said the initiative by the farmers showed how Zimbabweans were transparent and forthcoming on issues of development, as fuel mobilised for road development had not been diverted.