MARONDERA — Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday accused Zanu PF of stifling development in Mashonaland East Province by politicising developmental issues.
Addressing a campaign rally at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera on Sunday, Tsvangirai said Zanu PF tended to raise developmental issues while campaigning and dumped them soon after elections.
“There is need to translate some of the plans into reality to ensure that development is not on paper, but on the ground,” he said.
“The underlying problem in Mashonaland East is that people won independence in 1980, but have no freedom at all. You are still under the yoke of oppression. There is no development in your province. I was told that the pipeline at Wenimbe Dam has not been laid since 1993 when it should have been laid, but it is only being done now. Why?” he asked.
The Premier said the water treatment plant in Marondera needed to be reconstructed and expanded to cater for the town’s growing population.
“There is need to build another purification plant so that we expand the plant to ensure clean water. In the current Budget, we must make sure that Marondera water challenges are solved. I am told the pipes can only cater for 20 000 people, but the population is now around 50 000. We need to construct and ensure the pipes we lay now should cater for 100 000 people. We must consider the future expansion of the town in any planning process,” he said.
He said the Wenimbe Dam project would bring much relief to the cash-strapped council. Water from traditional supply dams, Rufaro, Nyambuya and Nyakambiri were sewage-clogged. This necessitated the use of seven different expensive chemicals to make the water potable, the PM said.
