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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
BULILIMA Rural District Council has raised $43 000 towards funding community projects from revenue realised from Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) projects.

Bulilima RDC chairperson Mr Morgen Ndebele said community projects in 12 of the 22 wards in the district will benefit from the funds from Campfire, a programme in which rural communities conserve and manage local wildlife populations for their own benefit.

Mr Ndebele said the wards that will benefit were expected to submit project proposals for approval to receive their allocations.

“Twelve wards which are beneficiaries of the Campfire project have been allocated $43 000 which was raised from last year’s hunting activities. This money was raised through elephant hunting which is our main activity under the Campfire project.

“These wards are now expected to submit their project proposals to the council for approval and then they will receive their allocation. No one will receive the money before their project is approved,” he said.

Mr Ndebele said so far Dombolefu Ward was the only one which had submitted its project proposal. He said community members from the ward had been given $1 800 towards building an ECD classroom at Mathambo Primary and $900 towards buying furniture for Mbwenda Primary School.

He said the ward had also received $1 700 which was an outstanding allocation for the previous hunting season.

Mr Ndebele said the allocation per ward was going to vary according to proposed projects.

He said wards that were set to benefit from the funds were Dombolefu, Bambadzi, Hingwe, Ndolwane, Madlambuzi, Makhulela, Huwana, Gala, Malanswazi, Vulindela, Dombodema and Nyele.

“Last year we didn’t have any leopard hunting which normally takes place in Norwood Ward and as a result the ward doesn’t have any allocation. The Campfire projects go a long way in financing development projects around the district.

“We always urge wards to come up with quality projects and thereafter we monitor the projects to ensure that the money is acquitted properly,” he said.
Mr Ndebele said projects which communities undertook using Campfire proceeds include construction of schools, clinics and community halls.

@DubeMatutu