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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
LUPANE Local Board, which manages Lupane Town in Matabeleland North, has started constructing a $300 000 civic centre as the provincial capital gears for growth.A three-member interim commission was tasked to run the affairs of the town following the recent harmonised elections and has been pushing some projects and meeting potential investors to spearhead development of the town.

Lupane is viewed as lagging behind when compared to other provincial capitals countrywide. A visit by The Chronicle to Lupane recently showed that construction work had started at the civic centre, adjacent to the public offices. Commission chairperson, Commissioner Siphiwe Ncube-Sibanda, said a number of projects including street lighting, roads and storm drains construction among others were underway.

She said construction of the 16-office civic centre could end next year.

“We saw that the local board is growing but without offices hence we started the civic centre project, which we hope to take to window level end of this year. It is going to have 16 offices including a boardroom and town secretary’s office and the total cost is around $300 000,” said Comm Ncube.

She said other projects include rehabilitation of a 3.5km road stretch from Lupane centre to Mtshibini Primary School, which has been surfaced with gravel before it can be tarred, reconstruction of small bridges and storm drains that had been destroyed by trucks around town and installation of solar street lights.

“We have installed solar powered street lights from Zanu-PF offices to the business centre and we need about 40 more along the road up to the District Administrator’s Office.

“We also plan to put a fence and a tower light at the bus terminus to allow overnight parking,” she said.

Comm Ncube said this will help reduce crime, which had been happening under the cover of darkness. A bush between the business centre and Hlalani Kuhle houses has also been cleared while about 1 200 houses were recently connected to water pipes and received water meters free of charge from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).

Each household will only pay $20 for water connection.For the street lights, the local authority spent $20 000 generated through collection of $1 from each household.

Comm Ncube said all projects were self sponsored by the local board through rate payers’ money.

“All this is part of development. Our advantage is that we have land and so we are open to investors. All these projects show that Lupane is growing.

“We have plans for a shopping mall, there is Lupane State University and Registry Offices among other pull factors hence we see ourselves growing as a town,” she said.

Comm Ncube said they recently met some investors who expressed interest in developing the provincial capital, whose strength also hinges on key sectors like agriculture, energy, mining, tourism and research. The town’s housing waiting list is around 3 000 units. — @ncubeleon.