shloboe boe
Thupeyo Muleya, thupeyo.muleya@zimpapers.co.zw
SERVICE delivery in Beitbridge district is steadily improving as the Government channels significant funds into capital projects under the devolution initiative.
For over two decades, the district’s estimated 200 000 residents have been advocating for critical infrastructure development, including schools, healthcare facilities, roads and water systems.
Today, those long-standing calls are being answered. Both the Beitbridge Rural District Council and the Municipality of Beitbridge have made significant strides in addressing service delivery challenges, thanks to millions of dollars allocated under the devolution funds.
The Municipality of Beitbridge has used its devolution funds to enhance infrastructure and service delivery in the town, home to approximately 100 000 people. Key achievements include the procurement of a refuse compactor truck, earth-moving equipment and service vehicles; installation of public lighting, drilling boreholes to supplement water supplies and construction of houses in Dulibadzimu suburb. Plans are underway to build 28 additional houses.
The local authority completed Makhado Primary School in Khwalu 2 suburb, which will open this year. The school includes a classroom block, toilets and an F14 house.
The council also constructed a new clinic along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road, which will serve residents of Tshitaudze, Madinginye and Mabidi suburbs.
For 2025, the municipality plans to construct 25 two-roomed houses, procure additional firefighting equipment, install more public lighting and drill two strategic boreholes. Beitbridge RDC has also made significant progress in improving rural service delivery.
Achievements include the completion of Novhe Primary School and a classroom block at Mthangamutshena Secondary School, addressing the shortage of schools and reducing dropout rates, completion of Tshabili and Dumba Clinics in Beitbridge East and Mazunga Clinic in Beitbridge West, with pending openings after staffing.
The council also drilled five boreholes in Tshikwalakwala, Mahuhushe, Gandakasame and Mutshilashokwe, with plans to modernise communal boreholes using solar power and expand piped water schemes.
Devolution funds have not only enabled the completion of critical infrastructure projects but also helped reduce the financial burden on ratepayers. By covering gaps in essential services like road construction, sanitation and machinery procurement, the programme ensures stable rates and improved living standards.
The devolution initiative aligns with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to public health, education and water access.
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