SHURUGWI North Member of Parliament Joseph Mpasi has reflected on what he described as a productive and impactful year, marked by wide-ranging development projects aimed at improving livelihoods and accelerating socio-economic transformation across the constituency.
Mpasi said his focus over the past year was on translating President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 and the philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind into tangible benefits for local communities.
“We deliberately prioritised projects that directly touch the lives of ordinary people, from education and health to water, roads and youth empowerment. Development must be felt at the household level,” Mpasi said.
On infrastructure development, the MP facilitated the construction of classroom blocks at several schools while also paying school fees for disadvantaged learners in primary and secondary schools.
In a move aimed at strengthening the education sector, Mpasi rolled out teacher empowerment programmes through poultry projects targeting educators across all 24 wards in Shurugwi North.
“Our teachers are the backbone of education. Empowering them is key to retaining qualified personnel and ensuring quality learning for our children,” he said.
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Water and sanitation also featured prominently, with Mpasi overseeing the drilling of boreholes and the rehabilitation of old ones in various communities.
He also spearheaded road construction and rehabilitation works, notably the long-neglected Chiltern Road, which had gone for years without meaningful maintenance.
In the health sector, Mpasi facilitated the construction of health centres, including Dombwe Clinic, a development expected to significantly improve access to health services for surrounding communities.
Dombwe Clinic is set to be commissioned in November this year.
“We want our people to access health services closer to home. The Dombwe Clinic will ease the burden on families who previously travelled long distances for medical care,” Mpasi said.
Women and youth empowerment formed another pillar of Mpasi’s development agenda.
Women were supported through various income-generating projects, while youths were incorporated into mining empowerment programmes with support from private players
such as Chengxi Chengetai Investments.
To further amplify youth participation, Mpasi coordinated the inaugural Shurugwi North Youth Indaba, which brought together hundreds of young people from across the constituency to deliberate on empowerment and development opportunities. He confirmed that the youth indaba will become an annual event.
“Our youths are full of ideas and energy. The youth indaba creates a platform to listen to them and jointly craft sustainable empowerment pathways,” he said.
Mpasi also led drug and substance abuse awareness programmes, using sports tournaments as a vehicle to engage young people.
As part of his support for sport, he backed Shurugwi United Football Club, which recently earned promotion from Division Two to One.
On the political front, Mpasi convened victory celebrations in 21 of the 24 wards, commemorating Zanu PF and Mnangagwa’s victories in the 2023 harmonised elections.
Looking ahead, the MP said his focus was on consolidating gains and completing ongoing projects.
“I want to finish from where I left off in 2025. The journey of development is continuous and we are not slowing down. Everything we are doing is anchored on Vision 2030 and the commitment to leave no one and no place behind,” Mpasi said.
He expressed gratitude to community leaders, development partners and government departments for their co-operation, saying unity of purpose remains critical in driving sustainable development in Shurugwi North.