AN OPPOSITION legislator yesterday called for the introduction of Chitungwiza commuter trains, saying this would reduce the transport woes in the dormitory town.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
Zengeza West MP Simon Chidhakwa told the National Assembly during debate on a motion on the Presidential speech that there was only one highway linking Harare to Chitungwiza.
“As a result, there is massive congestion on the highway resulting in vehicles taking hours to get to Harare,” he said.
“We propose that the government should reinstate the commuter train system in Chitungwiza.”
Chidhakwa suggested that more land barons, who were involved in the housing chaos in Chitungwiza should be arrested and made to compensate people they sold bogus stands to.
“There is need for the government to implement the Joel Matiza report. We hope that the government will arrest more land barons and that they should be made to compensate the poor people whose houses were demolished,”he said.
Chidhakwa also queried why there was only one government college, Seke Teacher’s College, in Chitungwiza.
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He said the town needed more colleges to train engineers and doctors, adding the town did not deserve training of teachers only.
“We encourage the government to build a university for Chitungwiza because even small towns like Marondera and Gwanda already have universities being planned for them,” Chidhakwa said.
He said Chitungwiza General Hospital was now too small for the population, adding some of its departments were being privatised, a factor, which prejudiced the poor.
“Chitungwiza has only one general hospital. Some of its departments like X-ray have been privatised and it is difficult for people to access these services. Some of its wings are now operating as private entities. There is need for government to build another general hospital so that people can access services,” he said.
On water problems facing the town, he said it was now imperative to build another dam, as most residents went up to three days without accessing piped water.
Chipinge Central MP Raymore Machingura (Zanu PF) said the recent job cuts had affected companies like Tanganda Tea, which employed many people.
“Now many people are just roaming the streets and it increases criminal activity in the area,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa moved for the reinstating of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill in the Order Paper after the debate on the Bill was superseded by lack of a quorum.
Debate on the Bill will resume pn Tuesday at the stage that it had reached.
