MASVINGO RURAL
MASVINGO RURAL- Masvingo Rural residents have raised a red flag over service delivery citing lack of clean drinking water, bad roads and weak network connectivity particularly in ward 26.
The areas most affected include Nyajena and Chiwawa, where villagers say daily life has become difficult due to the challenges.
Speaking to Midweek Watch, a resident said they have repeatedly reported the problems to local authorities, but no visible change has been seen since last year.
“As a community we approached officials, including the councillor and the Member of Parliament, and we were promised that the issues would be addressed. However, up to now nothing has changed,” said the villager on condition of anonymity as she is afraid of unforeseen consequences.
The resident said they were told that the constituency had no funds at the time and that solutions were being worked on, but instead of progress, disagreements have emerged around the issues.
Masvingo Rural District Council Chairman and ward 26 Councillor Elias Jera dismissed the claims, saying they do not reflect what is happening on the ground as efforts to improve service delivery are already underway.
Cllr Jera said a mobile network booster was installed in the Guwa area in Ward 26 to improve communication, with similar installations planned or ongoing in other wards across Masvingo Rural.
On road infrastructure, Cllr Jera said two graders and tippers will be deployed in the constituency to rehabilitate roads starting in April. He added that some equipment arrived at the end of January, with road works scheduled to take place between April and July in the district. Fuel for the machinery, he said, is being provided by Masvingo South MP Tanatsiwa Mukomberi.
Turning to water challenges, the councillor said 50 boreholes have been drilled in Masvingo, with 27 located in Masvingo South. He added that more boreholes will be installed from May 2026 using a new system that will convert existing boreholes into solar-powered piped systems rather than demolishing them.
He said work will begin once approval is received from the Minister of State, adding that each ward is expected to receive six boreholes.
Councillor Jera also said the newly established Kushanda Mine in Ward 26 is assisting the community by providing equipment such as tippers and gravel to repair roads and bridges damaged by recent heavy rains.
He strongly dismissed allegations that leaders are failing to address community problems, describing them as false and motivated by personal disputes.
“These are false claims meant to destroy the efforts that are being made for the benefit of the community,” said Councillor Jera.
Mukomberi, also rejected the claims, saying development projects are ongoing in the constituency.
“There is a lot of development happening in Masvingo South. Work is still ongoing and more projects are underway to improve the lives of our people,” said Mukomberi.
He said residents will continue to see improvements as projects are rolled out across different wards.
Despite assurances from both the councillor and the MP, some residents say they remain cautious and will judge progress by visible improvements on the ground, as they wait for promised developments to materialise.
