Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, Zanu PF's Parliamentary candidate for Cowdray Park, Bulawayo has raised the stakes in what is likely to be a contest between him and former MDC Alliance President Thokozani Khupe by confirming delivery of road construction vehicles in the peri-urban constituency.
Cowdray Park, Bulawayo's largest high-density area has some of the worst roads, particularly in government's Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle Housing Programme zone.
Both government and council have failed to tar the roads while also ignoring pothole filled gravel ones.
Besides the poor road network, most of the area is not electrified, has no working sewer system with access to water a pipe dream from its inception mid-2000s.
Ncube has been on a whirlwind campaign in the constituency as Zimbabwe gears for general elections this August. Khupe, who will be competing under the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) banner is expected to give him a run for his money.
"Actions rather than words. Listening to and reacting to every need in Cowdray Park. The yellow machines have already been deployed, over 20km of gravel to be worked on, plus 5km of tar from Fly Over via Athens up to past eMpompini. A further 5km Denver road, ema11 being looked into," said Ncube in a tweet shared Tuesday.
"This is good news for our commuters and transport operators. Walking distances have been cut short and transport costs cut by half. Criminal activity will be minimal too. Siyasebenza!"
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Khupe is yet to kickstart her own campaign as the CCC has not concluded its candidate selection process.
Incumbent Member of Parliament Stella Ndlovu of the MDC Alliance had promised to use part of government's Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to rehabilitate the road network in 2021.
An imaginative plan to have residents pay US$2 per household to further finance the development fell through. No explanation has ever been given for the plan's failure or how US$650,000 set aside for it was used.
Only a kilometre stretch from Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle bustop to eCaravan was rehabilitated.
#Asilavalo #DevelopmentFocus "Izenzo kungemazwi" , "Actions rather than words". Listening to and reacting to every need in Cowdray Park. The Yellow machines have already been deployed, over 20km of gravel to be worked on, +5km tar from Flyover via Athens up to past Empompini. A... pic.twitter.com/zn7sCARODW
-- CowdrayPark2023@MthuliNcube (@CowdrayPark2023) May 16, 2023
