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Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent

LOCAL authorities should channel devolution funds towards improving infrastructure and creating a friendly investment climate, Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister, Senator Larry Mavima, has said.

In its quest to foster sustainable development and drive inclusive economic growth, Government through Treasury regularly allocates resources to provinces and districts. 

Speaking during a recent tour of devolution projects in Kwekwe, he said the devolution model was there to improve people’s lives. 

“The devolution funds should not stay in your banks. There is no work for it in your bank accounts, rather it should be channeled towards projects that benefit the people as per Government direction,” said Sen Mavima. 

“We want to see roads, clinics, schools and boreholes being improved so that we don’t scare away potential investors.”

The minister urged Kwekwe and Redcliff residents to “forget about Ziscosteel”, the giant steel making firm whose demise since 2008, has severely dampened economic activity in the two towns. 

“What if Ziscosteel is not revived? Forget about it and work on attracting new investors, and how do you attract new investors, through the creation of an investor friendly environment,” he said.

“There is no investor who comes to a place with no roads, no water and no health facility. So, it’s up to you as local authorities to spearhead such projects.”

Sen Mavima also called on local authorities to clamp down on companies that fail to pay their rates.

“Kwekwe has a lot of mining companies and it is up to you as a local authority to ensure that those companies are remitting taxes to you. If not so, go and close them down because you have the powers. If they refuse summon the powers of the police because you work together under devolution,” he said.

The minister said Government was deploying economists to districts to assist in evaluating their investment potential. He said Kwekwe and Redcliff were some of the richest districts in the province as they had a number of mining companies operating there. Acting Kwekwe town clerk, Dr Lucia Mnkandla, said the local authority had purchased equipment to rehabilitate its roads.

“We have recently purchased a grader, a vibrating roller, tractor as well as skip bins in a bid to try and rehabilitate our roads, which are in bad state. We have also a number of projects like rehabilitation of old houses in Mbizo 7, which have become inhabitable,” she said.

The local authority has so far received a total of $7,2 million in devolution funds, which it has spread across a number of projects covering health, water and sanitation and refuse collection.