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Blessing Karubwa, Chronicle Reporter
MORE than 50 homesteads in Kandana village, Gwambe area in Matabeleland South province’s Bulilima District were all smiles on Wednesday as a solar powered borehole was being commissioned in the area.

The solar powered borehole was drilled outside Chief Kandana’s homestead.

Villagers gathered at the chief’s homestead on Wednesday for the commissioning of the borehole which was drilled by the District Development Fund (DDF) in partnership with Bulilima East legislator, Cde Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu who is also the Minister of Environment Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

DDF drilled the borehole while the Minister provided equipment which included a water tank and two solar panels.
In an interview, Cde Ndlovu said villagers had been walking long distances to access clean water.

He said this was a challenge to old people who could not walk long distances.

To address water challenges, Government through the support of the Chinese government, has so far drilled 13 boreholes in the constituency.

Cde Ndlovu said he raised resources and drilled seven more boreholes in different wards in the constituency and some of the water is being used for income generating projects.

“80 people; 50 youths, 20 women and 10 men will benefit from the projects which are economic centres.

Government would be assisting by providing inputs for the beneficiaries.

Drilling of this borehole was a way of appreciating the cultural and developmental roles of the chiefs.

However, this borehole has not only been drilled for the chief alone but it is also for the whole community.

We have to take care of the chiefs first and that’s why I have drilled this borehole here.

His Excellency President Mnangagwa always emphasises that, “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’, ‘ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo’,” he said.
“His Excellency has since 2018 assigned the Minister of Finance, Cde Mthuli Ncube to set aside 5 percent of the annual budget to devolution funds.

The funds have gone a long way in helping councils across the provinces.

Community Development Funds (CDF) are also from central Government.”

Chief Kandana said the district will no longer be the same because of the Second Republic.

“I am elated by this development because when the project began, I couldn’t believe that it will come to an end.

The boreholes that we had were no longer functional and we have been having challenges accessing clean water as we had to walk up to Kandana Primary School’s borehole.

We have been relieved,” said the chief.

The area’s councillor, Melusi Nkomo said the new borehole will reduce the distance travelled by villagers in search for water.

“We have been walking almost a kilometre to get water.

People have been getting water at Kandana Primary School’s borehole and there has been overcrowding at the borehole, a situation which drove villagers to contribute some money so as to service the borehole as it was being regularly damaged,” he said

A villager from ward 3, Mr Mkhululi Dube (48) said despite the development there is still need for more boreholes in the area as some homesteads are far from the recently drilled boreholes.

“Personally, I am not benefiting from this because I am very far from it.

Government should drill more to help us because our wards have got a huge population.

Despite the recently drilled boreholes, we are still walking about two kilometers to access clean water,” said Mr Dube.

– @ TichaKarubwa