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Desmond Nleya, Chronicle Reporter

THE Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs, Cde Richard Moyo, will, with effect from next month, relocate from Bulawayo to Lupane to ensure effective service delivery in the province. 

In a telephone interview yesterday, Minister Moyo said final touches were being done in the installation of electricity and water at his Government allocated house and those of heads of departments in Lupane. 

“I will be relocating to Lupane together with other departments. The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is putting final touches in terms of installing electricity and water to my house and those of other heads of department. Otherwise we are relocating this coming month”, he said.

The Minister said working from Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo was stalling development in Matabeleland North Province.

“The delay in the movement of government offices has affected development in Matabeleland North as some based in Binga, Tsholotsho and others will not be having money to travel this side for meetings. Some structures are not yet done due to shortage of funds,” he said.

He revealed that a few departments had already relocated to Lupane.

Matabeleland North Provincial Administrator, Ms Latiso Dlamini confirmed the development saying other departments like Zinwa and the registry offices have since relocated to the new site. 

 “Other departments such as the Registry department and Information department have already moved there. Very few departments have since moved to Lupane, mainly Registrar offices and even the Minister himself and Zinwa due to infrastructure issues. Other departments will relocate as and when there is a requirement,” she said.

Decentralisation of services to provincial, district or even ward level is an ongoing process under the Government’s devolution drive meant to bring services closer to the people. 

In the last few years civil servants in Matabeleland North province have complained about delays in completing Government offices and houses in Lupane, which made it impossible for them to relocate. As a result, ordinary people and entrepreneurs from the province were being forced to travel to Bulawayo to seek Government services thereby incurring higher transport costs.

 The construction of the Elitsheni  complex started in 2004 but due to inadequate funding, its completion was delayed.

Lupane Town was granted Matabeleland North provincial capital status in 1999 but the development of the town has been sluggish mainly because of inadequate funding for infrastructural development. The coming in of fulltime services to Lupane is also expected to result in quicker growth of the settlement into a fully-fledged modern town. Lupane State University has already relocated some of its departments, giving impetus to the growth of the provincial capital.