BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Sokumile ukwakhiwa kwedamu elikhulu leZiminya, eNkayi ebelisakhiwa nguhulumende ngenhloso yokwenqabela uhlupho lokusweleka kwamanzi esigabeni lesi.

Lokhu sokudanise izakhamizi ebezilethemba lokuba zizasebenzisa amanzi ekuthuthukiseni indawo le, obekuzasungulwa inhlelo ezitshiyeneyo.

Izakhamizi lezi zithi abakhi bedamu leli abeZimbabwe National Water Authority labasebenzisana labo o- contractor, baqala ukususa imitshina yokugebha, izimota kanye leminye imitshina ngenyanga kaLwezi kungelasizatho esatshelwa inkokheli yesigaba kanye lezisebenzi.

Sixoxe loMnumzana Jeffery Sibanda owake wasebenza eZiminya ngokwenzakalayo, othi kakucaci ukuba umsebenzi uzaqahubeka nini, njalo ngokuna kwezulu, imbundu yedamu leli eTshangane isiqala ukudilikela.

“Imitshina ababeyisebenzisa ayikho. Akulalutho eground kule foot roller eyodwa eyafayo.”

UMnumzana Lameck Dlamini isakhumuzi seMenda uthi ulokudana ngohlelo lweZiminya, ngesizatho sokuba amanzi aluhlupho eNkayi.

“Mina kimi kubuhlungu ngoba nginje ngikhangela izifuyo ezilapha ngendlela osekudilizwe ngayo amadlelo le eTshangane kuphinde kungasaphutsha okuyinto kwakhona khathesi lezulu kalikho labo sebefukue umhlabathi akuselandawo zamadlelo kithi sokuyi loss lokhu.”

Sixoxe njalo lokhansila kaWard 28, uMnumzana Norman Ndebele, laye othi basemnyameni ngokwenzakalayo ehlelweni lweZiminya.

“Abantu laba baphuvala bengasitshelanga saphungubona bethutha impahla behamba ukuthi basivalelise lathi sasesibuza izisebenzi bathi kuthiwe sikhangele mhlaka 29 December batshiya kunjalo.”

UNdebele uthi idamu leli belizaletha intuthuko kuzulu weNkayi.

“Idamu lelui ngalikhona indlala yonke le esiyibalayo, konke esikubalayo nga kakukho. Ama irrigation bavulile kuma ward so nxa ama irrigations la engasebenza ubuyanga bendlala obulapha bebuzaphela.”

Unobhala webhuku lako Liver Khumalo, eMenda, uNkosikazi Sitshengisiwe Sibanda, uthi labo basemnyameni ngokwenzakala eZiminya.

“Ithemba asiselalo ukuthi bazabuya beqhubekele phambili, kusiphatha kabuhlungu kakhulu izakhamizi bezisebenza edamu sezibuya zihlala. Sifisa ukuthi liphumelele idamu sithole ukusila bekuzasincedisa ngoba labantu abasasebenzi.”

Isiloyiso sika Dlamini yikuba idamu leli lakhiwe. “Nxa abantu bezafelwa zinkomo baphinde baswele umsebenzi kanti bazaphila ngani ngoba inkomo ziphelile ngamathambo wodwa.”

UMnumzana Richard Moyo, ohola isabelo seMatabeleland North, uthi uhulumende ubengaselamali yokuqhubekela phambili yokwakha idamu leli.

“Hanstho uyabona ukuthi even le Gwayi-Shangani dam bekumile but kuma disbursement of 2025 l think iZiminya bengayifaka u-contractor ngeke ahlale kungaselamali ngithemba ama project la azaphiwa kuphele.”

Ngokutsho kweziphathamandla zikahulumende ezikuhlangothi lweTransport and Infrastructure Development, idamu leli kanye lezinye inhlelo ezigoqela ukuphehlwa kwamagetsi le irrigation, lizakwakhiwa ngezigidi zamadola eMelika ezedlula kancane ikhulu lamatshumi amathathu amadollar – US$132 million.

Idamu leZiminya ngelesibili elakhiwa nguhulumende kusabelo seMatabelelend North ngemva kweGwayi-Shangani Dam yona layo ekhangelelwe ukwenqabela uhlupho lwamanzi kubahlali bakoBulawayo lezinye izagaba eMatabeleland.

Uhlelo lweGwayi-Shangani lwasungulwa ngomnyaka ka1912 lwaphinda lwathathelwa phezulu yiNational Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project.

SOURCE: VOA

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Tragedy struck at a squatter camp in Bulawayo when a 56-year-old man from Nkayi was brutally murdered and his body later discovered dumped.

According to the police statement, on October 18th, around 3 a.m., Josephat Sibanda was sleeping in his shack when he was attacked by accused persons.

A neighbor heard the door being damaged and someone being beaten up but was too afraid to intervene.

The neighbor only went outside at around 6 a.m. and discovered that Josephat’s door was damaged, his blankets and clothes were scattered outside, and he was nowhere to be found.

A search party was formed, and Josephat’s body was found about 40 meters from his shack, lying in a pool of blood, covered in tall grass.

The police report indicates that Sibanda had a deep stab wound on his left shoulder, a cut on the occiput, and bruises on the left side of his stomach.

The body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for post-mortem examination.

Following investigations, Promise Ndebele, a 20-year-old male, was arrested in connection with the murder.

Two other suspects, Xolani Moyo and Oscar Mlauzi, are still at large, and the police are appealing for information leading to their arrest.

BY BAYANDA NKATHA

Stakeholders from Nkayi District have gathered in Bulawayo for the inaugural Nkayi Diaspora Investment Indaba, which kicked off this Thursday morning at the Zimbabwe Art Gallery.

The event has drawn various stakeholders, including heads of government departments, traditional leaders, Diaspora-based business people, humanitarian organizations such as Amalima Loko and others.

The district is seeking to court investors for various projects and service delivery, with the aim of addressing the area’s marginalization and development challenges.

Nkayi is one of the districts that has lagged behind in terms of development, with its two major connecting roads – Bulawayo-Nkayi and Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane – deteriorating to an extent that driving has become a nightmare.

However, the district has huge potential, boasting vast natural resources, including rich agricultural soils, water, the upcoming Ziminya Dam, sand abstraction, timber, beekeeping, and more.

Its proximity to Gokwe, Lupane, Binga, and Kwekwe makes Nkayi a strategic market district.