Govt failures force Chivi Council to beg from Diaspora

via Govt failures force Chivi Council to beg | SW Radio Africa by Alex Bell on Thursday, May 22, 2014

Zimbabwe’s economic crisis has forced the Chivi Rural District Council to beg for financial help from Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, with the government failing to provide money for local development.

The Council announced this week that it is approaching the Diaspora in a bid to raise $8 million to refurbish roads, rehabilitate boreholes, dams and schools in the area.

Council chairperson Killer Zivhu told journalists at the launch of the fundraising program that they would go to South Africa, the United Kingdom and Canada to raise money for development.

“We intend to raise $8 million for refurbishing roads, clinics, boreholes, schools as well as rehabilitate dams that are heavily silted. We will be engaging the sons and daughters of Chivi who are in all corners of the world,” said Zivhu.

Zivhu added: “Our first port of call will be South Africa, then we go to the United Kingdom and Canada. We will meet those from Chivi as well as other Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.”

The program has been described as another sign of the ZANU PF government’s failure to prioritise the needs of Zimbabweans.

Basic infrastructure maintenance and a country wide lack of development are hallmarks of the government’s leadership, with more money being spent on cars for MPs and local officials, than on development.