Although November is a parliamentary recess, it is surely not a time for parliamentarians to rest, but rather to change activities. Moreover, the national mandate status allows parliamentarians to feel at home anywhere in Burundi. This explains the presence of MPs in constituencies other than their own.

In the case of the First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Sabine Ntakarutimana first led the delegation of parliamentarians elected in Rumonge constituency before heading home. Each time on arrival, the delegation led by the First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly met with governors of the provinces visited.

The province of Rumonge, composed of five communes, has the ambition to build a large-scale project, the main road RN3 whose work will start shortly. The large-scale projects concern also the construction of provincial offices and Rumonge port, a national and sub-regional project, as well as the cross-border market financed by the World Bank, informed Mr. Consolateur Nitunga, the Governor of the province, Tuesday, November 02, 2021.

Other projects include the expansion of the town of Rumonge and the development of the tourism sector as the province has tourist potentialities as it stretches over a length of 75 km on the coast of Lake Tanganyika. The master plan for the development of the town of Rumonge is therefore eagerly awaited.

The Head of State’s principal that every mouth should have food and every pocket money is natural in Rumonge, where the soil is fertile and trade flourishes, thanks to palm cultivation. But the downside is that the population of that area does not respond massively to community development work, so pressure must be maximised.

Changing the mentality is a long-term battle. A 28-hectare piece of state land was handed back to the population, who joined together to work together. The population started to resist but gradually gave in and is now aware of the benefits of joining together their lands.

When the First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly wanted to inquire about the situation of Sangwe cooperative societies because, she was told that they were doing badly. The injunction was to invest funds into agropastoralism, even though the population is not interested in that field. But those who have taken another direction by going into the palm oil business are holding out. La coordination should take into account the situation in the area, the main thing being to maintain income-generating activities. On the subject of fishing, it was noted that although the old method has been abandoned in favor of the new one, the yield of fish is satisfying.

In her constituency of Muyinga, Honorable Sabine Ntakarutimana, leading a delegation of parliamentarians elected in this constituency, was welcomed on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at the office of the provincial governor. Mr. Jean Claude Barutwanayo was concerned about cases of suicide that tarnish the security sector. The First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly recommended that the governor conduct thorough investigations to determine the causes. Criminals have also caused terror by massacring honest citizens. Armed robbers who had retreated to Tanzania were apprehended in the act.

Regarding social matters, land disputes cause disturbances which generate a form of insecurity. In the judicial sphere, the lack of means of transport blocks the enforcement of judgments since the courts and tribunals do not go on field. The most alarming case is in the commune of Gashoho where more than 200 people in 70 households almost killed each other.

As for the development sector, each commune is working to implement the electoral campaign programme. For instance, Giteranyi commune made 1,000 desks with its own funds, while the commune of Gashoho is building the offices of the zone chiefs. Generally speaking, Butihinda commune is in the lead in terms of infrastructure construction, while the Gasorwe commune is in last place.

Finally, following the suspension of mining which was being carried out in disorder, the governor of Muyinga province reassured the population who lived from this activity that the Government was restoring order in their favor. The Sangwe cooperative societies are calling for diversification of activities. Another major challenge is the lack of natives who would join these cooperative societies to serve as role models.