The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
CONSTRUCTION of a 60-bed hospital in Cowdray is set to commence in April, a move that will boost the suburb’s health care provision, as they are currently operating with a makeshift clinic.
Cowdray Park is by far the largest suburb in the city, with over 16 000 households. The suburb at one point was singled out as a hotspot for the Covid-19 pandemic in the city.
However, in an interview with Sunday News, ward 28 councillor Kidwell Mujuru revealed that all was in place for the construction of the 60 bed hospital with the support of the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
He said the hospital will come in handy in resolving the health care challenges in the suburb, which had seen them having to travel to neighbouring suburbs so as to access health care.
“Cowdray Park, with its size and population has no hospital, instead there is a makeshift clinic. I am happy to say that we are building a very big hospital with 60 beds at the Empompini area, where all the initial works are set to be commenced by end of April.
I really nagged Professor Mthuli Ncube (Minister of Finance and Economic Development). I used to drive every month to Harare until he gave in and availed funds for the construction of this hospital,” said Clr Mujuru.
He revealed that adding on to the hospital project, the suburb will soon be getting its own police station, as all along they have been operating with two police posts with a few officers seconded from Luveve police station.
“We also do not have a fixed police station, serve for two makeshift police posts, the government has also promised that before the end of the year we will be having a full-fledged police station to service the area.
Further, in the Hlalani Kuhle area there is no secondary school, pupils have to travel a considerable distance to the nearest one. As the ward councillor I have constantly nagged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education pointing out this anomaly and they have already committed to construct a secondary school in that area,” said Clr Mujuru.
He further noted that another school in the suburb, Vulindlela Primary that was constructed to ease the burden of other primary schools in the ward, has managed to enroll grades zero up to six, as more blocks were being constructed.
“Regarding primary schools, already there was one, Vulindlela Primary, which was left incomplete by the former councillor Collet Ndlovu.
The completion of this school was stalled because of lack of funds but using the Devolution Funds we have completed about three blocks, and we have not stopped, we will be further extending it. We have already enrolled pupils for grade zero to grade six and they have started learning,” said the ward councillor.
The developments in the suburb come at a time the Bulawayo City Council has identified the suburb to be the site for a smart city and also the Judicial Service Commission is also set to construct a magistrates’ court in the suburb as they work towards decentralising the justice system.
