The Sunday News
Richard Muponde Gwanda Correspondent
VILLAGERS in Gwanda have demanded that all menial jobs which will arise at the new Mlambapheli Border Post should be reserved for locals as part of empowering them.
Mlambapheli Border Post, between Zimbabwe and Botswana was opened on 1 June. Speaking to Sunday News last week during the tour of the border post to assess a completed gravel road by the District Development Fund, villagers said authorities and companies working at the border must consider employing local people to fill up general positions that will arise.
“The opening of the border should empower us as locals, we hear this road will be tarred soon and as locals we should be given preference when it comes to recruitment of general workers for road construction as well as other works at the border post than to have people coming from other areas to come and be employed to push a wheelbarrow,” said Ms Uphethile Mguni of Halisupi.
She said the community was happy when the locals were engaged in the construction of the road leading to the border.
“I really feel that this road is ours. We participated from the onset until now. We were very much empowered and we feel that we have to protect the road. The same should apply to the border because we were crying for it for a long time,” she said.
Ms Anna Moyo of Mashaba village which is about 10 kilometres from the border post said they wanted to be given first preference on vacancies since the border post was in their jurisdiction.
Ward 19 councillor, Thompson Makhalima said local people were expecting to see more benefits from the opening of the border.
“Since a lot of work needs to be done at the border post, we also wish to see our children gettting jobs there because it’s painful to see stakeholders coming with other people to work in our area while our children remain idle,” he said.
Recently the Minister of Rural Development Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage Cde Abednigo Ncube who is also MP for Gwanda South said menial jobs at the border post should be reserved for local people.
