Councillors in Gwanda Rural District Council have raised concern over the uneven distribution of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) projects, accusing authorities of concentrating development initiatives in a few wards while others are left behind. The concerns emerged during a recent full council meeting, particularly during deliberations on Social Services Committee recommendations, where several councillors said most NGOs were operating in Wards 7 and 8 at the expense of other areas. In one recommendation, the committee reported that the council had received a letter from the Southern Western Region Gender Network seeking permission to operate in the district.
The project is set to be implemented in Wards 7, 8 and 11. In another recommendation, the committee said the council had also received a request from Soul’s Comfort for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) covering the period January 2026 to December 2028. The organisation intends to operate in Wards 7 and 8.
These recommendations did not sit well with some councillors, who argued that most development projects were directed to the same wards. “All the NGOs are going to one place, all of them Ward 7 and 8,” said one councillor. Another councillor expressed fear that the trend would continue if not urgently addressed.
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“Our fear is that all NGOs will work in one ward while other wards won’t benefit, so we are asking if there are other NGOs working in other wards,” said the councillor. The councillor said the issue had been raised previously, with expectations that 2026 would bring a more balanced allocation of development partners.
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