New look Binga emerges

Bongani Ndlovu recently in Binga
Binga Aerodrome has the capacity to accommodate up to four planes daily.

This is driving tourism as Binga District in Matabeleland North province is on the corridor for tourists from Victoria Falls to Kanyemba.

Binga is moving in the right direction in terms of development with some projects awaiting commissioning such as 17 houses constructed by Government for flood victims.

For years, Binga District had remained largely marginalised in terms of infrastructure development with several projects either stalled or progressed at a snail’s pace.

The Second Republic started addressing these shortcomings through the implementation of high-impact projects.  The projects being undertaken by Government have improved the socio-economic well-being of locals in line with President Mnangagwa’s philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind. The projects, which the Government has greenlighted for implementation in Binga include road rehabilitation, the construction of a vocational training centre, a new border post, the establishment of a nursing school at Binga Hospital and the refurbishment and operationalisation of the hospital mortuary.

Driving into Binga District, one can see numerous projects such as the completed refurbishment of the aerodrome, the tarring of the Binga-Karoi road and the construction of houses for victims of floods.

The refurbishment of Binga District Hospital Mortuary has been completed and is waiting for engineers to inspect it so that it can be commissioned. Binga District Development Coordinator Mr Land Kabome said the district has been busy with projects at various stages of completion.

In 2020, 181 families at Nsungwale were displaced by floods and Government resolved to relocate 81 of them to safer places and has started constructing 37 houses for them.

After the project is finished, Nsungwale villagers under Chief Sinakoma will have four-roomed houses, a major improvement from their pole and dagga huts.

Mr Kabome said a total of 61 workers from Binga were employed to work on the construction of the houses. He said it was pleasing to note that 20 of the 37 houses are complete while the rest under a private contractor are at various stages of completion.

“The houses, especially those done by Public Works are near completion, which have been roofed and a few touch-ups are being done. To that end, the houses are waiting for commissioning. The ones being done by the contractor are supposed to be roofed,” he said.

Under devolution funds Mr Kabome said a number of clinics and schools are being constructed and some have been completed.

“The main project is the Malaria Clinic (under Chief Pashu), which is now complete and awaiting official opening by the powers-that-be. We have the Zambezi Clinic (in Sianzyundu), we are working on the water system and the Naimsanga Clinic which has been completed. At schools, we have done teachers’ houses and classroom blocks at Chibondo and roofing of schools at Bulawayo Kraal and in Pashu,” he said.

A critical road that is being constructed is the Binga-Karoi road, where Mr Kabome said 10km of bush clearing has been done on it.

“On the Binga-Siakovu road, we are working, we have done 10km of bush clearing, formation and gravelling. Our target was 10kms gravelling but contractors stopped due to unknown reasons. So far the 6.5km subgrade has been done, base two; 6.5km has been done and base one 3km has been done. In terms of priming, 2.7km have been done.”

Mr Kabome said the tarring of Binga-Karoi road had created jobs for local youths.

“In road construction, the number of youths that are employed is 25 – 15 males and 10 females. What was happening is that the road was being done from the Karoi side, and we engaged the powers-that-be so that we are allowed to start from Binga. And to that end, this request was granted and then it started to be constructed from turn off Saibusuba and going to Siabuwa,” said Mr Kabome.

He said the road, when completed, will complement the Binga Airstrip which has been refurbished.

“The airstrip has an average of three to four planes that can land per day. Binga is on the corridor for tourists from Victoria Falls to Kanyemba. This is a wonderful job that is being done by the Second Republic,” said Mr Kabome. — · Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi

Article Source: The Chronicle