By TellZim News
As Zimbabweans are slowly being engulfed by the election mood, Chiredzi Central Constituency’s Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate, Ropafadzo Makumire says he was more than ready to go to parliament.
He will battle it out with Zanu PF’s Francis Moyo and current Chairperson for Chiredzi Town Council, Gibson Hwende who is contesting as an independent candidate after he was disqualified from the race to represent CCC.
Makumire seems to be a people’s darling having contested as an independent candidate for Chiredzi West’s ward 3 during the 2018 harmonised elections and outweighed Zanu PF and MDC Alliance’s candidates and went on to be elected as Chiredzi Town Council’s Vice Chairperson, making him the youngest elected councillor during that time.
The 30-year-old Makumire later joined CCC during its inception.
He did his primary education at Tshovani Primary School and Chiredzi Christian High School respectively and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Regional and Urban Planning at the University of Zimbabwe in 2016.
He is the Director of Kums Town Planning Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd and is a holder of a Master’s Degree in Urban Design from the National University of Science and Technology.
Makumire, who is also a part-time lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University vowed to spearhead the construction of Chilonga Bridge, which he said is key towards the development of Chiredzi Central and the district at large due to its proximity which is close to the link between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
“I have to work on the construction of Chilonga Bridge, which is very key towards the development of our town and District at large. It is a shorter linkway between Chiredzi and Mozambique such that when constructed, cross boarder haulage trucks will use the road allowing local businesses to easily get their raw materials from Mozambique,” said Makumire.
Makumire also highlighted the need to depoliticize developmental initiatives in the district in order to have input from people from all walks of life despite their political affiliations.
“We need a developmental approach that encompass all stakeholders. The Constituency Developmental Committee should be apolitical in order to rope in developmental ideas from various stakeholders. It also helps for accountability purposes as well as leaving no ward behind. Everyone should benefit,” said Makumire.
Makumire has been vocal against land barons who he says are crippling the local authority and allegedly duping residents by unlawfully selling tracts of unserviced land to desperate home seekers without authority from Chiredzi Town and Rural councils.
He attended the 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship where he studied Civic Leadership at the Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.
