By Daniel Chigunwe
One would agree with me that in Mashonaland Central province there is the emergency of a new tiger village which has gained the attention of the media, business investors and basically every week all roads leads to this shining gem of the province-Mbire District.
Going back two decades ago, Mbire was the backhand of the province, a jungle reminiscent of Africa before the voyages of discovery. Home to the minority tribe group of the Doma, the district has been the hub of Non -Governmental Organizations offering all forms of aid ranging from food, health facilities and education.
Located in the Dande Valley, Mbire has always experienced low erratic rainfall patterns, saline soils, and high levels of siltation and simply never been the best place for commercial farming. Climatically, the area has very hot temperatures and been infested by the Tsetse flies with many lives claimed as a result of the Malarai epidemic.
Human and wildlife conflict stories dominated the media news stories of Mbire, depicting the place as a life threatened area due to the marauding wild animal attacks from lions, hyenas, elephants and hippos which have destroyed both humans and livestock alike.
That is how a writer, journalist or any scribe would have said about Mbire a few years back. The public jury will convict me for writing the Mbire story in the above description as it is vehemently disagreeable today to narrate the developments, empowerment and beauty that has visited the place in the just few months after the emergency of the new bolt in the personality of Douglas Karoro.
Karoro of Mbire is the constituency’s Member of the House of Assembly and appointed Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Lands Agriculture and Rural Resettlement.
Having entered the political scene in 2015 after garnering 11 635 votes in a by election when the constituency fell vacant after David Butau was expelled from Parliament and the Zanu Pf party on allegations of being a Mujuru loyalists, Karoro has positively identified with the people of Mbire and today numerous development project has accompanied the name Mbire.
It is quite a beautiful matrix to see how Mbire has even become the destination of investment conferences. The place is fast transforming embracing the 21st Century business of the day and a number of business owners, recreational giants and cash moguls are sitting at the table of Mbire deliberating on harnessing the beautiful nature into a profitable something.
Karoro at the helm of the development has instilled a spirit of unity among the villagers, folks and brethren of Mbire. The community is one solidarity, speaking with one voice, working with one commitment and thinking with one mind.
Recently, during the commissioning of the Hambe Bridge by the Minister of State, Senator Monica Mavhunga hailed the commitment of the Mbire folks after they partnered with the District Development Fund (DDF) to achieve one of the milestone developments in the area.
Let me point out that the people of Mbire unlike the massive populations in the cities, are undiluted, and unpolluted by the numerous social media speculations. It is a blessing in disguise that the folks have little exposure to the social media revolution which has increased speculations, (jecha) and further divided communities.
Karoro has managed to fuse his personality to identify with the humour-filled community by giving them an ear to their challenges and knowing how to articulate his words in turn, which has also lured some of the Mbire folks in towns to plough back to the community.
Samuel Mutukudzi is one example of the Mbire children who has embraced development by partnering with the community. Though based in Harare where he runs a number of business the man says he always identify with every development project in the area where he is envisaging to bring recreational business.
The Karoro Mbire rise matrix is inadequate without visiting the immense contribution of the First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa.
Hailing from Mash Central part of Chiweshe, the First Lady has also shown a passion for development in the Mbire area where she started by visiting the Doma people and spend a lot of time listening to their challenges.
She has further made numerous contributions to the health, education, farming and social development of Mbire.
After everything has been said, the conclusion is that Mbire is a force to reckon with the now and with the unstoppable Karoro of Mbire there is no doubt Mash Central is being transformed into gem.
You failed to point the contribution of various state and non state actors in the Mbire Story It has a history far back than where u picked it .The then Governor Masawi and VP Mujuru and Minister of State Dinha working with people like former PA Josohat Jaji and current PA Cosmos Chiringa and Council Chair Chidongo and CEO Majaya all contributed to what is Mbire today .They came out with a strategic plan to open up Mbire to the outside world .The Plan hatched in 2010 has brought fruits of what is pertaining now .Investment Conferences were run and still run annually the brain child of this leadership. The Province in pursuance of this plan went into MOUs with Lusaka Region in Zambiathe province across Kanyemba where Luangwa town lies and Tete Province in Mozambiqueb bordering Mbire on the Nort East side .Hambe Bridge construction started 2years ago after Catholic priest Fr Smoko of Chitsungo Hospital petitioned then President Mugabe about the inaccessibility of the road to the hospital after the bridge was washed away under Elnino.Admittedly Hon Karoro had done so much as local Mp and the First Lady iced the whole marketing of Mbire by her high profile visit followed by VP Chiwenga.Rtd ACM P Shiri working with then Minister of State Martin Dinha and MP Karoro did much to capture the current business and political interests on Mbire .Your matrix falls short in failing to recognise the various development actors including the SDA church and one Rev Kruger and many others who pioneered the Mbire story .The First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa ranks tops as the stimulus factor that has made Mbire a hub that it is today .You underrated and underplayed her role .it is proper to give due recognition to development actors in any development map of an area.Noteworthy is also the fact that despite all the media hype and interest and promises made , other than the developments by the First Lady to the Doma,the major projects remain a pipe dream.The road tarring and construction and electricity supply ,even the envisaged development master plan remain outstanding with no implementation matrix and time lines .The pontoon and ferry negotiated as part of the Lusaka -MashCentral MoU is nearing completion and will open up trade .The bad road from Mahuwe to Kanyemba is the negative drawback and is a priority.The intended 200 hectare plantation drawing water from the Zambezi to boost the economy of Mbire is still on paper and we see no movement from the responsible authorities.Fortunately with the elevation of Hon Dougals Karoro as Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the passion of Minister Shiri we will see action on the ground soonest.When u write of a matrix in future do so well informed of the matrix indecis or index and the matrix axis which are the corners that make a matrix,A matrix is not a single factor monologue .It's intricacies must be exposed to come out with a critically objective exposition of a given problem or storyline .A matrix should never be about political grandstanding buta deeper and informative and holistic narrative .This is just an educated and objective critique otherwise the narrative is most welcome in as far as it seeks to highlight the Mbire story and it's envisaged road to development.
ReplyDelete