Member of Parliament for Hurungwe Central, Dought Ndiweni has urged the Minister of Finance and Economic development to increase the budget for the District Development Fund (DDF) to fund development projects.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mthuli Ncube recently presented a ZWL$426, 1 billion 2021 national budget.
The agriculture sector was allocated ZWL$46, 3 billion.
A number of constituencies this year complained on the shortages of water sources especially dams and boreholes.
Debating in parliament on Tuesday, Ndiweni said the Minister of Finance and Economic Development has to increase the money that is allocated to DDF.
“Mr. Speaker sir, my next port of call is the budget for DDF. I plead with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to increase the money that is allocated to DDF.
“Mr. Speaker sir I am from Hurungwe Central. If DDF is capacitated, I can assure you come 2023, I will be back here in Parliament because we do not have boreholes in my constituency,” He said.
Ndiweni said due to budgetary constraints he is forced to source for funding to finance development projects.
“I literally have to look for finances to try and repair boreholes and to drill boreholes. I could safely say this to you Mr Speaker sir, I am currently on a GoFundMe to try and raise money to drill boreholes in my constituency, trying to look for money from well-wishers, but if DDF was capacitated I would not be in that quagmire,” he said.
“DDF, if capacitated, would also help in the improvement of inland water sources. Mr speaker sir, in Hurungwe central we have plenty of dams that were left by the former by the former commercial farmers. All that is needed is rehabilitation of these dams. It is sad Mr. Speaker that we have so much rain this season and we watch the water just draining away. It is a sad scenario”.
He added that, “In a hypothetical situation we do not need two or three good seasons successively. If we had enough good inland water sources one good season can carry us two years ahead. We ,might not even need a good season next year if we collect the water that we get this year.”
