Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Development projects that were initiated by Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube in the run-up to the August 2023 general elections in Bulawayo’s sprawling high-density suburb of Cowdray Park are now in limbo after the academic was defeated at the polls.
Ncube was the ZANU PF candidate for Cowdray Park Constituency, which was among the new constituencies created by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) during the controversial delimitation exercise.
Unlike other ZANU PF candidates, Ncube was not challenged during primary elections.
He eventually lost the election to Pashor Sibanda of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Despite the loss, Ncube was handpicked by President Emmerson Mnangagwa as one of the non-constituency MPs for the ministerial post.
Soon after he was confirmed as the ZANU PF candidate for Cowdray Park in March 2023, Ncube started funding projects such as road rehabilitation, nurse aid training courses, connection of households to the electricity grid, rolling out of free WiFi access points and drilling of boreholes.
Journalist Senzeni Ncube, writing for CITE, said that while Cowdray Park residents can still access free WiFi at designated points, the rehabilitation of the badly damaged road network which was initiated by Ncube as part of his campaign has since stalled.
Residents say some of the boreholes that were drilled as part of Ncube’s electoral campaign have broken down and Cowdray Park residents, like everyone in the city, are bearing the brunt of Bulawayo’s 120-hour water rationing schedule.
Moreover, thousands of Cowdray Park residents still have no access to electricity as Ncube is yet to deliver on his promise to supply 38 transformers that will enable the connection of their houses to the grid for the first time.
A Bulawayo United Residents Association official in Cowdray Park said Ncube promised he would come back to finish the projects he initiated. The official told CITE:
Some projects were initiated by Mthuli Ncube when he wanted to be the MP such as the drilling of boreholes, WiFi access points and rehabilitation of roads.
The tarring of the road from Caravan to eMpompini was completed (before the elections), but the other road is yet to be completed and he promised to come back.
Some of the boreholes are no longer functional, but residents can still access the WiFi.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson in Cowdray Park, Joseph Phiri, said residents “love” Mthuli and he lost because he was on a ZANU PF party ticket. He said:
The WiFi is still accessible, but the boreholes are not functional and there is no water. All the other projects are stagnant.
We do love Mthuli because he fixed some of our roads and drilled boreholes for us and at the moment two are still functional.
He might feel hurt that he lost, but it was not because people didn’t love him. It was the jacket he was wearing (his political party).
Nicholas Ngwenya, a community leader from the eMpompini section of Cowdray Park, said:
Ncube said he will continue with his efforts to turn Cowdray Park into a smart city as per the promises he made in his election manifesto.
He said youths had started enrolling for different courses and that the rehabilitation of roads would resume soon as the programme was disrupted by rains.
He also said people will continue accessing WiFi and he will work with Mujeyi (the new MP).
Arthur Mujeyi (ZANU PF) is the new MP for Bulawayo’s largest suburb by population following by-elections held on 09 December 2023.
The Cowdray Park Constituency seat fell vacant after Sibanda was recalled by Sengezo Tshabangu, a CCC activist who claims to be the party’s interim secretary general.
Tshabangu blocked Sibanda from contesting the 09 December by-elections.
For More News And Analysis About Zimbabwe Follow Africa-Press
