The Sunday News
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube has described his contest for the Cowdray Park parliamentary constituency as part of his mission of developing communities and the entire country.
In an interview with Sunday news on Wednesday, Professor Ncube expressed that he has been part of the development of various African communities and as such was just continuing with his mission.
“I have thrown in my name at the Cowdray Park constituency because I would like to believe I am that person. I have done this for a very long time, basically trying to develop communities right across Africa. From Gambia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana when I worked for the African Development Bank,” said Prof Ncube.
Cowdray Park Constituency is the biggest constituency in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province with the gazetted delimitation report revealing that the constituency has the largest number of voters. As of May 2022, the constituency has 24 403 registered voters. Prof Ncube said the constituency was in dire need of development which is part of his mission of coming back to Zimbabwe.
“I came here as the Minister of Finance basically on the same mission of developing our nation and I would really want to commit to a community such as Cowdray Park that is in dire need of development support. They have remained behind to the rest of Bulawayo. Basically, we will measure how developed Bulawayo is by the extent to which Cowdray Park is in terms of development so that gap needs to be closed as developing Cowdray Park is tantamount to developing Bulawayo,” said Prof Ncube.
When asked on how different his approach will be in ratifying the plight of the constituency, Prof Ncube said his consultations had appraised him of the challenges that the constituency faced.
“I cannot talk about what other people have tried to do or failed to do in the past. I am very clear as to where the gaps are, the people have told me when I did the consultations so I will do whatever I am supposed to do and my job is cut out.
“There are issues to do with roads, lighting, crime and policing, youth unemployment, unavailability of clean water, sewage system infrastructure, amongst other development needs. So these are very clear development needs that the area needs so badly,” said Prof Ncube.
Prof Ncube joined the Government in 2018 as a non-elected Cabinet Minister. Since then, he has made inroads into becoming an active member of the ruling party, Zanu PF. He was elected Central Committee member for Bulawayo last year before President Mnangagwa appointed him deputy finance secretary in the politburo. He threw his name in the ring to contest in the party primary elections that will be held across the country on Saturday.
@nyeve14
