Villagers at Madimbo used to hold their meetings at the headman’s home and under trees. Access to basic services was one of the many challenges they faced. As part of celebrating 20 years of democracy, they now have something to smile about.

As a way of delivering much-needed services to the people, the Musina Local Municipality has provided the villagers in Madimbo with a huge, fenced community hall. The municipality spent R4,1 million to build the spacious community hall, which accommodates 300 people seated. The facility has offices and ablution facilities.

During the official opening of the hall, Mayor Carol Phiri assured residents that they now had a facility in which they could access basic services. “I am delighted to announce that this facility will help villagers in and around Madimbo, as they can now buy electricity and hold their meetings.” She advised villagers to take care of the infrastructure. “It must be your responsibility to ensure that the hall is always in good condition. If you find someone vandalizing the property, inform the relevant municipality officials about the incident; that way, we will keep this hall in perfect condition.”

Almost all the councilors and headmen from different villages in Musina attended the event. Phiri extended her gratitude to them regarding their role in making sure that the process of building the hall was a success. “My special thank you goes out to my headmen and councilors for ensuring that the construction process was a success.”

Phiri advised them to work with the community to ensure that the infrastructure is utilized and is kept in good condition. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the hall is fairly utilized and always in good condition.”