Matobo villagers unite to build a registry office

Despite the glaring poverty and unemployment plaguing the villages of Bazha and Fumugwe in Matobo district, the villagers have defied the odds by pooling their meagre resources to build the highly coveted registry office.

Since time immemorial, the villagers have had to struggle in their quest to access important documents such as birth certificates,national identity cards and burial orders. The nearest registry office is the Kezi Registry which is situated 60km away, a distance that has proved a tall order for many to travel by reason of its size, a dearth of transport and high transport fares.

Moreover, the road to Kezi has a fair share of its own problems. The villagers have to cross rivers on their way to Kezi, a proposition that makes travel impossible during the rainy season. Senior citizens constitute a considerable part of the population in this community and the whole set up of having to travel the long, hazardous distance is a mammoth task for the usually ailing elders. To get to Kezi early enough and be able to return home on time, villagers have to wake up at around 3am.

The Chairperson for the project Mr Delisani Sibanda asserted that this is one of the best projects to ever emerge from Bazha and that it marks the genesis of massive community development projects.

“The registry has been identified as the first project to ease the pressure of having to go to the district for documentation. This is also a big way of cutting travelling costs to and from Kezi with more than one witnesses in tow. It will benefit all the people of ward 18 that includes the following areas Dewe,Bazha,Mazhayimbe,

Fumugwe,Jeqe,Major,Ntaben’emnyama, just to mention a few.We were granted permission to have our own registry at Bazha by Maphisa Rural District council sometime back in 2012 but our parents did not have enough money to kickstart the project,” he said.

Russel Gordon Ncube, the building project Secretary told Community Podium that the villagers have resolved to build their own registry office with the assistance of  diasporians who are mostly indigenes of the community.
“This noble idea was mooted by certain people from the Bazha area who came together after realising that there was no development in the area and that parents were struggling to obtain key documents for themselves and their children. The daunting 60km journey from Bazha to Kezi to access registry services prompted the people to come up with this idea to help their cause. We went on to form  a building association even though the participants are still very few. On a monthly basis, we contribute no less than R100 per member” he said.

The youthful Ncube recounted how the association members strove to build the structure right from the foundation to roofing level.

“At the moment, the building is complete in terms of structure and roofing. We are now at the  plastering stage and the interior has been partially plastered. We still need some more cement for the outside as well. We also need some window panes, doors and floor tiles.”

Ncube went on to highlight how the Covid-19 pandemic threw spanners into the works by halting the project.
“The Covid 19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown became the stumbling block. Everything came to a standstill due to our compliance to Covid-19 protocols.”

 The project secretary paid tribute to the village head, Mrs Ncube whose influence has encouraged great camaraderie among members as she coordinates the efforts of the association members.He said, “She calls regular meetings and plays a pivotal role of  encouraging us to work together in order to complete the project and possibly move to the next one.”

The councilor for Ward 17, Majahana Moyo said the business community has also chipped in by providing finances and resources. He singled out one business man, a Mr Mathuthu who donated 5 bags of cement and has pledged to do more.

Sithabisiwe Mabuza, a villager, expressed her joy and relief as she said the local registry will relieve the villagers of some challenges associated with outsourcing registry services. She said raising funds funds for the outsourced registry services is very difficult for most villagers as most of them, especially the women, are unemployed and live off child support grants.

Speaking to Community Podium, the Councillor for Ward 18 Mr Weed Moyo said the office will go a long way in assisting villagers from proximate wards. He revealed that the project had received an injection of funds from one local donor and is appealing for more contributions.

 “This office will serve the following wards; 15 ,16 ,17 ,18 ,24  and 25. It is being built by the local community in collaboration with our brothers and sisters in the diaspora”, he said.
Councilor Moyo was grateful to a local NGO that also donated bags of cement but stressed that more help is needed to complete the project.

 “We thank Fambidzanai Organisation which donated some bags of cement .We need some more cement to finish plastering and for the commencement of work on the cottages. If there are other donors or well wishers out there, they are welcome to help our cause. We still have a lot of work to do as far as this structure is concerned. We have tentatively earmarked the month of June for the completion of the project,” he said.