Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in charge of implementation and monitoring, Joram Gumbo has said reports saying the government is concentrating development in other provinces rejecting Matabeleland are misleading.
Gumbo, a former Minister of Transport, claimed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime is seeking to develop key infrastructure in all provinces.
His remarks come as critics have claimed that the government is allegedly neglecting Matabeleland provinces in terms of development projects in favour of Mashonaland provinces.
According to an update of projects by the Cabinet made in August,
1). Bulawayo metropolitan province got 69 projects, translating to 4% of the total number of projects while
2). Matabeleland North got 12%
3). Matabeleland South got 5%.
However, Gumbo said all provinces have almost the same projects be it roads, schools and health facilities. He told NewsDay:
Looking at the number of projects without values might also be misleading because you will find that we have two major dam projects in Matabeleland including the Gwayi-Shangani Dam which is a high-value project whereas you might have 20 very small projects whose value is not even 10% of Gwayi -Shangani.
President Mnangagwa has made deliberate efforts to develop Binga and you will find most ministries are doing something there.
Claims that the ZANU PF government is neglecting Matabeleland provinces are not new with critics citing the collapse of companies in Bulawayo which used to be the industrial hub of the country.
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