Mberengwa: A paradox of poverty and mineral wealth

0Shares

Mberengwa people will only lose their chains of bondage by voting Zanu PF out

By Tambanavo Chamanyawi

Mberengwa is a district in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe, with a population of about 300,000 people. It is endowed with rich mineral deposits, such as gold, iron ore, emerald, lithium, chrome, platinum and asbestos. However, despite its natural resources, Mberengwa remains one of the poorest and most underdeveloped districts in the country.

The contrast between the mineral wealth and the poverty of the people is striking. According to the Zimbabwe Poverty Assessment Study Survey Summary, 2003 report, mining and farming are the main sources of livelihoods in Zvishavane and Mberengwa ¹. However, most of the mining activities are carried out by large companies or small-scale miners who do not benefit the local communities.

The district has no tarred roads, no colleges or universities, no reliable water supply or electricity, no adequate health facilities or schools. The infrastructure is dilapidated and neglected. The people suffer from hunger, disease, unemployment and lack of opportunities.

The district is also prone to droughts and high temperatures, which affect agricultural production and food security ². The environmental impact of mining activities is also a cause for concern, as it leads to land degradation, water pollution and deforestation.

The question that many people ask is: why has Mberengwa been sentenced to permanent poverty by its minerals? Who is responsible for this paradox?

Some analysts blame the external factors, such as the colonial legacy, the global market forces and the sanctions imposed by the Western countries. They argue that these factors have prevented Zimbabwe from exploiting its natural resources for its own development.

However, others point out the internal factors, such as the lack of responsible leadership, good governance, sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. They accuse the ruling party, Zanu PF, of mismanaging the economy, looting the mineral revenues, suppressing the human rights and ignoring the needs of the people.

They also criticize the previous and current Members of Parliament for Mberengwa for failing to bring any development of substance to the district since independence in 1980. They name Ben Mataka, Josphat Shumba, Byron Hove, Joram Gumbo (who was minister of transport), Lillian Shirichena, Alum Mpofu and Tasara Hungwe as some of the MPs who have disappointed their constituents.

They claim that these MPs have only been interested in winning elections by using violence, intimidation and vote-buying. They say that they have only seen slight movement of the tarred road from Zvishavane through Buchwa, Matedzi and Chamakudo during campaign periods ³ ⁴.

They also lament that there is no royalty or loyalty gains from Zanu PF which has been winning elections in Mberengwa since 1980⁴. They wonder why Mberengwa has not benefited from its mineral wealth like other districts such as Marange (diamonds), Hwange (coal) or Zvishavane (platinum).

Mberengwa is a district that has been loyal to Zanu PF since independence in 1980. It has never voted for any other political party in the parliamentary elections. However, this loyalty has not been rewarded by the ruling party, which has betrayed the people of Mberengwa by failing to deliver development, services and opportunities.

Mberengwa is a district that is rich in minerals, such as gold, iron ore, emerald, lithium, chrome, platinum and asbestos. However, these minerals have not benefited the local communities, who remain poor, hungry and marginalized. The mining companies and the government have exploited the natural resources without sharing the revenues or protecting the environment.

Mberengwa is a district that has no tarred roads, no colleges or universities, no reliable water supply or electricity, no adequate health facilities or schools. The infrastructure is dilapidated and neglected. The people suffer from droughts, diseases, unemployment and lack of opportunities.

Mberengwa is a district that deserves better. It deserves a leadership that is accountable, responsive and visionary. It deserves a government that is inclusive, transparent and democratic. It deserves a party that is progressive, transformative and people-centered.

That party is not Zanu PF. Zanu PF has proven to be corrupt, incompetent and oppressive. It has mismanaged the economy, looted the mineral revenues, suppressed the human rights and ignored the needs of the people.

Zanu PF candidates for the 2023 elections are:

Tinashe Shumba for Mberengwa Central
Tasara Hungwe for Mberengwa East
Joram Macdonald Gumbo for Mberengwa West

These candidates have nothing to offer to Mberengwa except more of the same. They have been part of the problem, not the solution. They have been complicit in the plunder, neglect and underdevelopment of Mberengwa. The people of Mberengwa have no reason to vote back Zanu PF into power in 2023 after betraying them since 1980. They have every reason to vote for CCC’s Dr Zhou Takavafira Zhou in 2023. They have nothing to lose but their chains. They have everything to gain but their freedom.

Dr Zhou has a vision for Mberengwa that is based on social justice, environmental protection and sustainable development. He has a plan to harness the mineral wealth of Mberengwa for the benefit of the local communities and the nation at large. He has a strategy to improve the infrastructure, services and opportunities in Mberengwa.

Mberengwa residents are tired of leader who are failing to lobby the government and the mining companies to respect the rights of the local communities and share the benefits of natural resource exploitation with them.