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 Blessing Karubwa, Chronicle Reporter
A ZIMBABWEAN based in Japan has donated an ambulance worth more than US$20 000 to Nswazi Clinic in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South Province.

Mr Lungile Christopher Siphambili (68) who grew up in Nswazi Village said the donation was a way of giving back to the community that raised him.

“I grew up in this community. I learnt at Nswazi Primary School so I know the challenges that rural people are facing. My parents were struggling to make me the man I am today and the whole community participated in moulding my character.

With my 30 years in the diaspora, I have managed to get an ambulance which is worth more than US$20 000 and brought it to Umzingwane District as a way of giving back to the community,” he said.

Like many clinics in rural areas, Nswazi Clinic had been operating without an ambulance, a challenge which led to some avoidable deaths.Villagers gathered at Nswazi Shopping Centre on Friday to celebrate the official handover of the ambulance.

In his speech during the event, Umzingwane Rural District Council chairperson Mr Jetro Moyo, said the ambulance will not only serve the Nswazi community but also the whole district. He urged villagers to take good care of the ambulance so that it serves the community for a long time.

“I am very happy that we now have a clinic with an ambulance in Umzingwane district which is not common in many districts. I would like to thank Mr Siphambili for what he has done and I therefore, urge villagers to keep this ambulance well. This ambulance is for everyone not one man’s property,” said Mr Moyo.

He said a committee has been appointed to look after the ambulance. He said the ambulance will assist patients in many clinics in the district.

“The committee that has been appointed to look after the ambulance has made sure that the ambulance will not only operate at Nswazi but it will ferry everyone who has got problems around from Nswazi up to Esigodini where there is a clinic. Those assisted will have to pay a certain amount of money which will help to fix the ambulance when damages arise,” said Mr Moyo.

A villager, Mrs Nomvelo Nxusane, said the ambulance is a relief to the community.She said two months ago a villager died while trying to get a transport to go to the clinic.

“This ambulance would be of great help to the community as we have been facing some challenges in terms of transport to the clinic, especially to those who are four kilometres away from the clinic. Two months ago, one of the villagers who had a headache died while villagers were trying to organise transport from one of the teachers at a nearby school.

We have been relying on teachers as they are the only people with cars so they have been helping in times of emergency but we usually become desperate when schools are closed,” said Mrs Nxusane.

She urged others in diaspora to plough back to the community like what Mr Siphambili did. — @ TichaKarubwa