MP defends record as MP as constituents clamour for factories, water
Published:Monday | July 6, 2020 | 12:00 AM
Incumbent St Ann South West Member of Parliament (MP) Zavia Mayne has defended his stewardship of the constituency since being elected in February 2016.
Mayne, whose performance has drawn criticism from his political rivals, argues that his work is there for all to see.
“In every corner, in every quarter, the mark of leadership of the constituency is going to be evident. ... Not in every community you will see something, but everybody knows of the progress,” the MP told The Gleaner.
Among his major achievements, Mayne has pointed to road repairs, the development of a training facility, and the Armadale Approved School.
In the town of Alexandria, moderate activity was taking place there when The Gleaner visited amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
But one woman suggested that the constituency could benefit from more investment, including an agro-processing factory to provide value-added options in the mainly agricultural zone.
“I am not going to lie, we see where him doing things here and there ... fix roads, and so on, but I am looking for factories so we can make our juices and sell.
“I am saying we want to process the things before they get spoiled,” Anika Chambers told The Gleaner outside of the Alexandria office of the member of parliament.
Taxi operator Jason Dixon, who plies a route into Alexandria, said he had not seen Mayne in the community of Gibraltar but said the lack of water was the most pressing issue there.
“A long time we nuh have no water, and this ya place ya nuh short of water. So me would a really like him sort out that,” he said.
When asked by The Gleaner whether his job as state minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security was a distraction, he responded by saying that he was in the constituency every Friday.
“My first responsibility is to the people of South West St Ann, the people who elected me. It would be foolish to neglect them,” he said.