Chiredzi channels $228million devolution funds towards schools, clinics – Tell Zimbabwe

 Blessed
Chauke

Chiredzi Rural District Council (RDC)
has allocated a huge chunk of its 2021 devolution funds towards improving
education and health infrastructure in the district.

The RDC was allocated $228 million up
from $13million which they received in 2020.

Speaking to TellZim News, Chiredzi RDC
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ailes Baloyi said that the funds will be used
for social projects especially schools and clinics which had stalled in recent
years.

“Our funds will be mainly used to
construct schools, clinics and some will be channeled towards solving the water
crisis in the Lowveld.

“There are also some wards in Chiredzi
District such as Wards 16, 17, 20 and 24 which do not have proper social
amenities. We also have 32 schools and also 15 clinics which are under
construction,” said Baloyi.

Baloyi said the projects will be done
in conjunction with the community and the corporate world whom they have partnered
on various projects.

“We do all our projects with the help
of the community. The community provide what they have and we provide what we
have and that is how we work together to build up the community,’’ said Baloyi.

He said they were also focusing on
areas where they were having water challenges by drilling more boreholes and
installing solar systems.

“We purchased a borehole drilling rig
from China last year which we will use to drill boreholes in areas where there
is a dire water crisis in Chiredzi District.  

“We will make sure that we drill at
least two boreholes every year and we will try to equip the boreholes with
solar so that our people will not have challenges to access the water,” said
Baloyi.

The schools and clinics building programmes
will prioritize marginalized areas where social amenities remain hard to
access.