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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, smoyo@chronicle.co.zw
GOVERNMENT has completed the Lupane and Binga housing projects in Matabeleland North province, among others across the country as part of efforts to provide decent and affordable accommodation for civil servants, particularly in rural areas.
Similar strides have been made in Matabeleland South where the proposed Beitbridge Re-development is 71 percent complete.
In Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, the Mutawatawa Housing Project for the construction of the waiting mothers’ shelter is at 90 percent completion.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, revealed this yesterday while presenting his post-Cabinet media report in Harare.
He said the report was part of progress updates made in the implementation of priority projects for the Third 100-Day Cycle of 2024, as presented by the Ministers of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, National Housing and Social Amenities, Health and Child Care and Energy and Power Development.
“The Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Zhemu Soda, reported that the following progress has been recorded on projects under his purview; the proposed Marondera Flats Housing Project, Mashonaland East province is at 95 percent of completion. The Proposed Lupane Housing project, Matabeleland North province has been completed as well as the proposed Binga Housing project,” said Dr Muswere.
Minister Soda recently told Parliament that the Government intends to provide civil servants with housing schemes as a form of non-monetary benefit, so they do not spend money paying rent.
This initiative is designed to improve the living conditions and quality of life for public servants in remote regions, acknowledging their vital contributions to the development of the nation.
The housing programme is also expected to have a positive impact on the retention of skilled personnel in rural areas, where staff shortages have long been a challenge.
By offering comfortable and secure housing, the Government hopes to encourage civil servants to remain in their posts, reducing turnover rates and ensuring continuity in essential services.
Dr Muswere said the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, told Cabinet that the repair of cancer machines at Mpilo Hospital is 90 percent complete, with the CT scan and the chiller being work in progress.
Government had injected US$2,3 million last year in October to fix the machines whose perennial malfunctioning has left cancer patients without access to treatment.
The other machine is housed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare and these two machines are the only ones available in public health institutions.
This comes at a time when experts have bemoaned that a majority of cancer patients present late when nothing much can be done to help them cure the disease, which accounts for 2 500 deaths in Zimbabwe annually.
Statistics from the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ), show that the most frequently occurring cancers among Zimbabweans of all races were cervix uteri (21 percent) prostate (11 percent), breast (8 percent) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (5 percent), oesophagus (4 percent), Kaposi sarcoma (four percent) colo-rectal (four percent), stomach (13 percent) and liver (three percent). Parirenyatwa’s last functional radiotherapy machine, which was secured with the assistance of the International Atomic Energy Agency almost a decade ago, broke down in 2020.
It had been the only working radiotherapy machine at a public hospital. Mpilo’s last machine had broken down a year earlier.
“The construction of a National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at Mpilo Hospital is on course, with the construction of the superstructure being at 85 percent of completion. The refurbishment of Nambya Community Museum in Hwange, Matabeleland North province is on course,” said Dr Muswere.
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