Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa says if voted into power they will advance Nkayi Road’s rehabilitation into a world-class road in the region of Matabeleland North.
The 155-kilometer road connecting Bulawayo and Nkayi Centre in Matabeleland North was meant to be completed by 1999, but work has not been completed, resulting in bumpy rides and potholes that plague travellers.
During a presidential rally in Nesigwe on Wednesday, the CCC leader said as they travelled on the Nkayi road, they confirmed how bad it was, having been neglected for years and that it continued to deteriorate.
“I have seen the underdevelopment, I saw that the road is bad, there are no hospitals. I saw that there are no schools and money. I saw there is poverty, this is why we are saying let us have a change of government in Zimbabwe,” Chamisa said.
“When we get into power, we are going to correct the lines of civilization, the roads and networks. Right now, if you want a proper network you have to climb a tree. We want to make sure we have world class roads in Nkayi.”
The rally was attended by CCC aspiring members of Parliament for Nkayi North and Nkayi South together with the aspiring councillors.
Former Nkayi South legislator, Abednico Bhebhe, also made an appearance in the rally and urged party supporters to vote wisely and not forget past developmental projects achieved in the constituency by the opposition while they were in office.
Chamisa also claimed his government is going to introduce rural urbanisation.
“We want to have reliable networks. We are going to introduce rural urbanisation and rural modernisation. We want to make sure that we have roads and that rural areas have access to critical infrastructure,” he said, adding a CCC government will also improve water sources in Nkayi.
“I saw that some of the boreholes have dried up and some of them are not even maintained, we want boreholes that are functioning and solar powered because that is the future.”
Chamisa accused Zanu PF, which has been in government since 1980 of causing underdevelopment.
“I know that you have no water, I know that your timber is being abused, you are not benefitting from your timber, yet you have such a resource here in Nkayi. Timber in Nkayi should benefit people in Nkayi,” said the CCC leader.
He added that once in power, a CCC government will improve the school infrastructure.
“If you vote for me, we are going to build schools nearer to our children so that they don’t walk long distances where they get tired along the way. If you vote for us, we are going to make sure that we don’t repeat what Zanu PF has been doing,” Chamisa said.
“If you are in Nkayi where there is a majority of people speaking Ndebele, there is no need to hire a teacher who doesn’t speak the local language. We want to respect the local languages and our traditional cultures.
He also claimed CCC will improve primary health centers.
“We want our mothers to be given proper marten care when they deliver in the hospitals, we don’t want you to be told to bring your own water or food, the government must be able to have proper hospitals,” said Chamisa.
Nkayi locals who had attended the rally said they were happy to be graced by the CCC president.
“Our president Chamisa spoke much about change, health, schools and the suffering brought by the government which has been in power since 1980. If we vote well in 2023, we know that the much talked about Bulawayo-Nkayi Road will be developed,” said one local who did not say their name.
“We are tired of this road, there are a lot of road accidents but today our president promised us that all that will end on 23 August if we vote well.”
Another villager, Deliwe Mbambo said it was encouraging to hear the CCC leader promising people “change and development.”
“We have no jobs, our children are dying in mines, they are also being killed in South Africa where they go looking for employment just because our country has no jobs but people from other areas come here to work in our area. We are happy that the new government is promising that they will change the situation,” she said.
