Chamisa’s Bid To Build School & Hospital in Gutu Not Welcomed 

MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa’s bid to build a hospital and school in his rural Gutu home area has been flatly turned down by the Zanu-PF controlled Gutu Rural District Council which said the project would take up too much of people’s land.

Chamisa’s application was for council to allow him to build a boarding school and a hospital in his home area in Ward 23 in Chiwara, Gutu South constituency. In previous interviews, Chamisa hinted that he would like to retire to Gutu after life in politics.

The area has 10 secondary schools and one boarding, the Roman Catholic-run Mukaro High, and the majority of children in the constituency walk long distances to school every day. According to the Masvingo Mirror, the only other boarding in the constituency is Sandon Academy, “an expensive private school owned by Zanu PF national secretary for security, Lovemore Matuke”.

While it remains unclear whether Chamisa was funding the project from his own pocket or had sourced partners, reports suggests that Gutu Rural District Council led by its chairman, Nicholas Zambara was not impressed at all by the ambitious project.

The proposal for the school was brought by Ward 23 councilor Charles Mannie. Those who vehemently fought against the idea of a new school were identified as Zambara, Chief Masanganise, Gutu South MP Yeukai Simbanegavi’s husband and Community Services head of department Thomas Muparamoto and Town Board appointed member Buster Mafio.

Debate almost degenerated into a fistfight during a full council meeting on Thursday when Gutu RDC chair Zambara claimed that villagers in Chiwara had rejected the proposal for the school and hospital.

He was supported in his assertions by Gutu acting District Development Coordinator Chiedza Tafirei. Zambara said that the villagers had told him that the school and hospital will take away a lot of their land. The exchanges became so harsh that Zambara threatened to eject Ward 33 Councilor Benard Chimwango who supported the project out of the meeting.

However, some councillors would have none of it telling Zambara that he was placing Zanu PF politics ahead of the welfare of the very same people he was elected to serve in council. They said that looking a gift horse in the mouth and serving narrow personal interests has been the bad politics of Zanu-PF that has left Zimbabwe as one of the orld’s poorest countries.

The fierce debate forced the matter to be taken back to the Road Works and Planning Committee before it comes back to full council at the next meeting. The school and hospital project is supposed to carried out in Chamisa’s home village.

Efforts to get a comment from Zambara were futile. Gutu Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer Alexander Mtembwa confirmed the matter and efuted allegations that he supported partisan agenda during the meeting.

Chimwango urged Mtembwa to remain professional in council business and stop being partisan and siding with Zanu PF agenda. Chimwango said it was unfortunate that development in Zimbabwe is only accepted if it comes through Zanu PF. He said Zanu PF bigwigs have been allowed to build structures even in wetlands but the party denies other people to start projects that benefit the community.

“Zambara who is a retired teacher led the offensive and said council is not approving the building of schools. He misrepresented the people of Chiwara by telling council that they don’t want a school,” said Chimwango. According to the Ministry of Education Zimbabwe is far short of schools with the teacher per pupil ratio being one of the highest in the world. There is always a scramble for boarding schools for children from the middle class with housands of pupils resorting to hot-sitting in the urban areas.

Ward 34 Councilor Wickliff Matindike, Chimwango, Mannie, Chief Chitsa and Chief Serima supported the approval of the project.

Credit: Zimbabwe Voice