Martin Muleya
MUTARE CITY-Last year, City of Mutare, Zimbabwe’s third largest city, announced ambitious plans to illuminate its streets with a US$20 million loan from Rwanda.
Council’s vision was to install modern street lighting across the entire city enhancing security, safety and economic activity.
The loan which was to be gotten from Rwanda would have covered the costs of designing, procuring and installing the streetlight infrastructure. The project aimed to replace outdated and inadequate lighting systems which had left many areas of the city in darkness.
While the initiative did not receive any objections from residents and business community, the loan which was applied for last year has not yet materialized. Despite numerous meetings, the loan agreement remains unsigned and the project’s timeline has been pushed back.
In a telephone interview with The Midweek Watch yesterday, City of Mutare Acting Town Clerk Blessing Chafesuka admitted that the local authority extended a begging bowl to Rwanda through the Government of Zimbabwe.
“I can confirm that we expressed interest in borrowing a US$20 million from Rwanda. We did consultations last year to our residents and other stakeholders. We even advertised for objections and none were received.
“So far no loan has been given as yet, we just expressed our interest. The Government of Zimbabwe approached Rwanda Energy Company for collaboration in the electrification project to revive public lighting infrastructure. Nothing has been approved yet. If the deal succeeds it will be from Rwanda to ZETDC,” explained Chafesuka.
As the city continues to wait for the loan, many residents remain skeptical about the project’s prospects. Some have expressed concerns about the potential financial burden on the city and the risk of debt accumulation.
Manica Youth Assembly (MAYA) director Jussa Kudherezera weighed in saying he saw nothing wrong with the local authority borrowing money to improve service delivery in the city although he noted that utilization of these funds was still a great problem.
Kudherezera highlighted that in the budget consultations done recently there was nothing said on street lighting because council probably was assuming the money could have been advanced to them already.
“The problem comes on the utilization of such funds, in their proposed 2025 budget they didn’t say anything on street lighting because they assumed the money would be available for use. But did they consult the residents because residents are the ones who will settle the debt eventually. This money could have been used to improve health and educational facilities in the city.
“Residents have their own pressing needs in terms of health and education. Consultation is key and the whole of Mutare will bear the burden of servicing the debt. Borrowing in my view is not a problem but did they consult the residents,” queried Kudherezera.
Despite these challenges, City of Mutare remains committed to improving its infrastructure and delivering essential services to its residents. The street lighting project remains a priority and officials at the Townhouse are exploring alternative funding options to bring the vision to life.
