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Prof Jonathan Moyo and headman Aleck Mcijo on his donated motorcycle

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
TSHOLOTSHO North legislator Professor Jonathan Moyo has donated 10 motorcycles and 239 bicycles to traditional leaders in his constituency to ease communication challenges and enhance coordination of activities. The beneficiaries were headmen and village heads. The consignment cost more than $50,000.

Yesterday Prof Moyo, who is also the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, visited Chief Mathuphula’s homestead where he distributed some of the motorcycles and bicycles. Prof Moyo said traditional leaders were a key figure in coordinating developmental issues and deserved functional modes of transport.

He said unlike politicians who can rely on cell phones to transmit their messages traditional leaders needed direct engagement with the people. Prof Moyo said the acquisition of the bicycles and motorcycles was a direct response to pleas that were made by traditional leaders in his constituency.

“Equally important or perhaps more important is the ability of the leadership in the community like this, the traditional leadership, the chiefs, headmen and village heads, to communicate through movement from one place to another beyond cell phones,” said Prof Moyo.

“Traditional leaders are unlike modern politicians like MPs. They can’t be cell phone leaders. You can’t have a traditional leader who is a cell phone user. Traditional leadership exercises its authority through direct interpersonal engagements. In order for the direct interpersonal communication to take place they’ve to move from one place to another,” said Prof Moyo.

He said it was important to address the challenges of traditional leaders who carry messages on behalf of their communities. Prof Moyo said his donation came at an opportune time, when the constituency and the country was experiencing a severe drought.

The traditional leaders were over the moon after they were given the motorcycles and bicycles. Chief Mathuphula said he was grateful to Prof Moyo for heeding the concerns of traditional leaders saying it was unusual for MPs to come back to the constituency after winning elections.

He said for long traditional leaders have been neglected and incapacitated in performing their duties.

“We’re very grateful that the village heads and headmen have been given bicycles and motorcycles respectively. This has come at a time when we’re experiencing a severe drought. Some MPs will be nowhere to be seen when their constituencies are facing serious challenges. We thank him for this and it’ll enable our traditional leaders to communicate with their subjects and provide accurate data to officials,” said Chief Mathuphula.

An elated village head, from Mlevu area, Hloka Ncube said the donation would make it easier for him to conduct his duties. He praised Prof Moyo for being people-oriented saying if it was not for his good heart nothing of such nature would have materialised.

Today and tomorrow he will visit Chief Siphoso and Chief Tategulu’s areas to complete the handover of the consignment to the traditional leaders. Each of the donated motorcycles has a carrying capacity of 500 kilogrammes.

The development oriented legislator has been credited with bringing cell phone network and radio coverage in Tsholotsho. He assisted villagers to get loans from the CBZ to start income generation projects.

Prof Moyo has developed schools in Tsholotsho and brought meaningful and progressive thinking to villagers, most of whom only aspired to go to South Africa for menial jobs.

In 2003, when he started working earnestly in Tsholotsho, there was only one high school. Now there is at least a dozen. He was instrumental in tarring roads and electrifying parts of Tsholotsho.