The Sunday News
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Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Government has already brought tangible development in Matabeleland, a sign that the President was capable of delivering and taking the country forward, Women and Youth Affairs Minister Cde Sithembiso Nyoni has said.
Speaking at First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa’s interactive meeting with the elderly and people living with disabilities in Bulawayo this afternoon, Cde Nyoni said more development was to come to the region courtesy of the new dispensation.
Outlining the numerous development projects that took off since President Mnangagwa took office in November last year, Cde Nyoni requested the First Lady to, on behalf of the people of Matabeleland, express gratitude to the Head of State.
Cde Nyoni highlighted the resuscitation of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (RBZ), resumption of construction work at Gwayi-Shangani Dam and job creation as some of the notable developments the Government had brought about in the region.
“Please thank the President on our behalf for the new dispensation. Since the President came into office, he has achieved quite a lot in this region.
“NRZ was at its knees and the President brought in investors who are working on resuscitating the parastatal.
“Over 400 industries closed shop here in Bulawayo but now we’ve started to see some opening. Since coming into office, the President has created over 70 000 jobs.
“Gwayi-Shangani dam is being constructed and next year there will be water for all of us here from the dam,” she said.
Cde Nyoni also expressed gratitude to President Mnangagwa for opening Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB), which will offer loans to women regardless of age or class.
The bank was officially opened in Harare recently and by Monday this week over 2 500 women had opened accounts.
Cde said the Government under President Mnangagwa had also started working on the road infrastructure in the region, to improve transport and communication.
“For year we did not have a women’s bank. Now we have one, courtesy of the new dispensation. The Bulawayo-Nkayi road is being worked on and potholes in cities are being patched after the President instructed the Ministry of Transport to work with local authorities, despite them being run by the MDC-T,” she said.
Turning to the First Lady, Amai Mnangagwa, Cde Nyoni paid tribute to her for restoring dignity to the position of First Lady and the Zimbabwean woman in general.
She said the charity work that the First Lady was undertaking had nothing to do with gaining political expediency, but were acts of genuine love and compassion for the people.
